Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-06-15
SPRING CEREALS.
\ splendid showing Throughout the
Coast for an Average Yield of Wheat
and all other Cereals.

Hit ana indeed the entire IaclflC
Coast. has been Il source Of anxiety to
the many farmers who became dis
couraged at their prospects during
the long drought. Since the splendid
fall of rain hopes for an average crop
have been realized, and everywhere,
the planted wheat Is rising from the
ground, rich, strong and Aplentiful.
Edwin +. Smith. Secretary of the
Agricultural Society says that sum
mary Of reports from all parts of the
State, just received, shows that, in
spite of all reports to the contrary, a
full average crop of 30.000.000
bushels will be produced. All ac
tual damage from drouth is more
than compensated for by the increase
of fully 10 per cent in the acreage.
MIR. Smith estimates that the State
will have for export at least 10000,
600 bushels. -Four weeks ago, dur
ing the prevalence of the drouth, the
highest estimate for the State crop
was only about 24.000,000 bushels,
MIR. Smith says: Since that time the
State has had beautiful rain, and
the change in the outlook of our
crop is simply wonderful The pro
duct of the State in 1881 was 81, 600,
600 bushels; in 1882, 34,OO0,OOO
bushels.
AS the crop of the Pacific slope
NAV now be fairly estimated at some
65,Q00.000 bushels, this wonld leave
but 335, 100000 bushels for the area
east of the Sierras, which includes a
vast breadth of new territory now
being seeded in the northwest. In
order to permit this the crop in all
the rest of the Mississippi Valley
would need to he reduced to much
more miserable average yield than
seems to us to be warranted by any
facts that have yet come to light. 1t
is true that the growing weather of
the last week has shown considerable
areas to have been practically winter
killed, especially in the southern half
of Illinois and Indiana. But it
should be remembered that this is
not unusual, even in good crop years.
The average yield per acre in the
prolific year 1880 would have been
regarded by thousands Of Western
farmers as sign of crop failure if it
had applied to then farms individual
ly. So far as observant people can
Judge the weather of the last six
months has not been nearly so I'M
favorable to winter wheat as was the
corresponding season two years ago:
the increased acreage promises more
for equivalent weather conditions,
and there is nothing in the way of q
fair yield of spring wheat this year.
Prospects for other crops, amount
of last years crops on hand. The
area covered includes all the i'm
portsnt grain growing sections of the
State, and those portions where large
amounts of potatoes form an i'm
portant element in the crops. With
few exceptions all counties report the
winter wheat to be in excellent con
dition. In few sections some dam
age is reported, and one or two
points state that the early sown
wheat was injured by the fly. But,
as a whole, the outlook is nearly as
good as at this time of any year in
the history of the State. With the
exception of those portions of the
State where dairying is a speciality,
the Importance of which is increas-
ing rapidly, an increase in the acre
age of winter wheat is reported. Sew
eral other counties report an increase
of 5 to 10 per cent. Until within
week past the season has been back
ward, but the last few days of warm
weather have drawn the winter wheat
forward at a rapid rate and for
warded the preparation for spring.
There will be considerable increase
in acreage, especially in the dairy
sections of the State
The acreage of spring wheat will
be about the same as last year, ex
cept in those counties where there
has been an increase in the acreage
of winter wheat. and in the dairy
sections.
Considering oats, barley, and rye.
it is impossiblelt Ito obtain definite state
ments as yet in regard to the proba
BILE acreage, but reports from sections
where attempts at an estimate have
been made show probabilities of con-
siderable increase. This is especial
ly the case in barley, the large and
growing demand of the breweries
making the crop profitable.
Potatoes have come to be favorites
in the markets of the country, and
the handsome returns received by
farmers have influenced farmers in
the potatoe sections to increase the
acreage devoted to that crop.
The active local and milling de-
mand for grain combined with good
roads influenced farmers to part
with large proportions of their crops
soon after the last harvest, and the
State is nearly drained.
A month ago farmers were sure
the crop would fall below an average
yield anywhere from 10 to 80 per
cent Now they admit that the
shortage will not exceed Is per cent,
and may fall as low as 5 per cent.
Conservative judges, who have all
along claimed fair crop to be the
most probable outcome, are strength
ened in their view and are inclined
to claim q slight advance over an
average yield. Judging from pres
ent data their estimate seems entirely
reasonable. In the northern part of
the State the acreage of spring wheat
will be much larger than last year.
The spring work is going forward at
a rapid rate. All sections report the
ground in splendid condition. The
chief reason for the great increase in
the acrea ge of both winter and spring
wheat is the large amount of immi
grafton to the State.
--%<ob<-
The Supreme Commandery Of the
Order of the Red Cross met in an
nual convention at Detroit. There
were abont 20 members present, rep