Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-02-14
WINTER WHEAT.
Reports From Every Section Indicate
a Decreased Yield.
The Low Prices Prevailing and Bad
Weather the Causes of
the Shortage.


as regards the area, condi>
ton and prospects of the winter wheat
crop:
Virginia-Randolph Harrison, Com
missioner Of Agriculture, says: II
have official figures from all sections
of the State and the acreage is short
fully 80 per cent. from last year. As
regards the condition since my last re-
port to you, have advices from the
southwest portion of the State report
ing that the wheat is being almost de-
stroyed-winter killed--and from ad.
vices and what l have seen in the last
few days, the prospect for wheat is
worse than it has been since 1866.
Alternate freezing and thaws with no
snow to protect it is the principal
cause. ~
Maryland-The area sown to wheat
is fully 26 per cent, short as compared
with last year. hear Of no serious
damage. The condition, however, is
not fiattering. owing to the haste in
sowing, and the soil is not being fully
prepared to receive the seed.
Missouri. w. Sanborn, Secretary
of the State Board of Agriculture,
says: "The area sown to wheat is 10
per cent. short of 1884. / hear of but
little damage to the plant as yet"
Illinois-The acreage sown to wheat
is about Is per cent. short of last year.
Some damage, but nothing serious was
reported in the southern part of the
State early. The ground is now COW
cred with snow and | will not be able
to tell much about the condition of
grain until the snow goes of,
Tennessee-A. j. McWhirter, Com.
missioner of Agriculture, says the crop
of Tennessee is fully 20 per cent. less
in acreage than last year, and the dam
age by the freeze is all of 10 per cent.
Kansas-The area sown to wheat in
this State is about 80 per cent. as
compared with last year. Some of the
largest wheat-growing counties in the
State have reduced their wheat area
from 25 to so per cent, owing princi.
pally to the ruling low price of wheat
during the past season. The condition
of the growing wheat is not up to the
standard. Some sections report dams
age by insects in the fall, and owing to
the severity of the winter many pre-
dict injury by winter-kllling. How,
ever, it is too early to tell much about
the latter.
Kentucky-C. Z. Bowen, Commits
sioner of Agriculture, says the acreage
sown to wheat in this State is from 10
to Is per cent. less than that of the
previous year. The winter has been
very unfavorable. Alternate freezing
and thaws have lifted the plant to the
surface, and it is in a badly crippled
condition.
North Carolina-The area sown to
wheat is very much less than last year,
and the condition is not very encour.
aging on account of the long contin>
ued drowth of last fall. The winter
has been unfavorable and much com>
plant Of winter-killing is heard
New York-The area sown to whea!
is somewhat less than last season. The
condition is quite favorable. No dam
age by winter>killing or other causes is
heard of.
West Virginia-John H. Strider, sta.
tistical agent, under date of Feb. 4,
says: "'The acreage of West Virginia
is short fully 20 per cent, as compared
with last year. The condition is very
unpromising. With our worst wealth
er, March winds, freezing and thawing
yet to pass, the present outlook will
not warrant half,crop."
Georgia--The extreme drouth Of
the fall extended almost to December,
and has caused a large falling off in
the area sown to wheat. The condi
ton is very unfavorsble, owing to the
unreasonable weather during the fore
part of the winter.
Minnesota-H. II. Youua, Statisti
cal Agent Of Minnesota, says, in regaro
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