Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-05-17
The Crops of 1883.

The Tribune has received and published
very full reports from the great grain grow
ing States which put a more favorable ap-
pearance upon the prospects of the coming
harvest. In an editorial summary that paper
says:
The returns which We give to-day. though
they do not promise a repetition of the IN
precedented Weld of 1882 are decidedly more
favorable than those received earlier in the
season. IL will be found, too, by those who
examine them closely. that they point to a
more favorable result than was promised BY
the May report of the Agricultural Bureau,
which has just been published. Being of n
later date by some days, they indicate that the
fine weather which has generally prevailed IN
the wheat-growing regions has caused con
tinuance of the improvement in condition
which was noticed in the Bureau report. Sc
rious harm was done to the winter wheat in
several States, there is no doubt by the un-
favorable winter weather, and the yield in
those States will be reduced in spite of the
recent Improvement in condition. But good
weather at this season has materially lowered
the estimates of injury sustained. According
to the Agricultural Bureau, the condition
April was only about so, and 1t had risen
MAY TO SD the reports now given indicate
n further Improvement. and warrant higher
estimates of yield in several of the States.
Another feature of great Importance is that
the weather has been almost everywhere IA
vorable for the sowing of spring wheat, SO
that in far-ofl Dakota and IN Minnesota. in
spite of much difficulty and delay, the seed
ing has been substantially completed. The
Bureau reports of acreage of spring wheat
will not he published before June |, but the
opinion is expressed by the Bureau that the
increase in area will not more than make
good the loss in acreage of winter wheat. The
reports given today from the far Northwest
seem to promise more favorable result
The gain in Dakota, especially will be large
so large that a yield of 10000 900 to %
900, 900 bushels is expected, whereas the
Weld in all the Territories supposed to
be less than Is GOO. 900 bushels last year In
Minnesota il is thought that the decrease IN
acreage will be not more than will be balanced
by more careful and intelligent cultivation
In Nebraska a great increase of acreage Is
reported; coinciient with the remarkable
growth of that State in population.
The States in which the injury sustained
by winter wheat appear to be greatest are
Ohio. where our reports promise a yield of
80. 900, 900 to 81. 0o0. 900 bushels. against %.
900 900 bushels estimated by the State Board
for MAY |; Michigan. where the decrease Is
still expected TO be - per cent AMI the yield
not more than 81. DOC, 900 bushels; Indiana,
where it is now thought the loss will be only
100000 or 10000 bushels; Illinois.
where there are some favorable Indications
although all accounts represent that the loss
has been heavy. aud the Nav report of the
Bureau puts the condition of winter wheat at
only Ca promise of full crop being repre-
scented BY 100; and Kansas, where a recent
Ia. Al
is sill expected that the Weld will be below
the average. Assuming that these reports
are correct and taking the opinion published
yesterday from the Secretary of the California
Board. that the yield in that State would
hardly reach 30,000,000 bushels, it appears
that the latest information now obtainable
points to probable yield of about
42o. 000, Zoo or 1870 000, 900 bushels of wheat
in 1883. The supposed yield in 1882 was
SOP ,oo0, 900 bushels. but of that quantity il
appears that as much as 100000 bushels
still remain unsold. after allowing for the
full years consumption in seeding and for
food. Exports from this time to the close of
the crop year can hardly reduce this surplus
so low that yield of 10000, 600 bushels
will be found insufficient for the coming
year.
The reports given today are almost uni
formly favorable in regard to oats and corn,
though it is still too early, of course, to form
any useful opinion as to the latter crop. But
planting has been generally completed with
success, and the reports promise very gen.
eral increase of acreage. With large supplies
of corn on hand from the crop of 1882. we
have at present no reason TO anticipate de
fciency during the coming year. In short,
there is every reason at this time to congrat-
ulase the country upon the prospect that the
lAbors of its farmers will this year be fairly
rewarded, that supplies of food will be ample.
and that we shall have surplus large enough
to meet at least as great demand from
abroad as that of the present year. Favora-
BILE weather during the season of growth and
harvesting ill be needed, of course, to bring
these hopes to fruition. but the prospect is
clearly brighter now than it was a month
ago.