Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-06-02
The Virginia Agricultural Bulletin.

in his Bulletin for May, issued on the lOth.
He also discusses the dairying interest and
the damage it sustains in the limitations OF
butter put upon the country, known as Cleo
margarine, butterine, &c. A bill is now
pending in Congress, and published in the
Bulletin, to regulate this traffic so that the
people may not be imposed upon. The
Commissioner urges its careful considera-
ton by all interested and requests them to
furnish their representatives at Washington
with their views and conclusions in the
premises. We make extracts from the Bull
letin as follows, emitting references to cot
ton and tobacco
CONDITION OF CROPS.
ssThere has been marked improvement
in the appearance of Winter grain since the
last report. 1t came out of Winter quarters
somewhat damaged by hard freezes; in fact
it had not, as a general thing, had good
send off in the Fall, owing to drought of
considerable severity; but since the middle
of March the weather has been very propi-
tieus, and now the plants show healthy
color and lin generaD lusty growth. The
few exceptions to this are where the crop
has been attacked by Hessian fly, Or where
the growth was crippled by Winter killing,
past complete recovery, or else because the
land was not fit for the work assigned it
not rich enough, or not properly prepared.
Unhappily there are but too many instances
of this, although a great and general i'm
provement has been going on in this respect.
The old method of cropping large surface,
imperfectly prepared, rather than more
moderate area, put in prime condition, still
fingers among us, and keeps the average
yield of our crops down amongst the very
lowest of the States of the Union. Now
when everything is depressed almost to
stagnation- low-priced except
labor, which is the costliest item of farm
er's expenses, we should concentrate our
efforts in a smaller field and try to get bet
ter results at less expenditure of work.
s'This point has been much insisted upon,
but will bear constant repetition, even at
the risk of wearying some of the farmers
upon whom it is urged. The Importance
of it cannot be overestimated; if it were
fully recognized and acted upon, there
would be complete revolution in our sys-
tenn of agriculture.
Notwithstanding the improvement in
cereal and grass crops, the general average
condition is not reported as high as private
letters and representations and his own OBJ
servations in different localities had led the
Commissioner to expect. The crop pros
pect is really somewhat better than the fig
ures would indicate, however; because the
best reports are from the largest grain and
grass growing counties, so that each cor
respondent represents larger constituency,
as it we're This is exactly the converse of
the condition of crops last year, the princi-
pal wheat-growing districts showed the low
est percentage of condition.
"The average condition of the Winter
wheat crop of the United States is, accord
| ing to the last report of the statistician of
the Department, $3.50, against rs last year
| (Which was the lowest ever reported), and
81 two years ago, an unusually good year
| for wheat.
"The same report shows reduction of .
per cent. from the area seeded a year ago.
| This is for the whole country-for all the
winter wheat States of the Union.
"For Virginia the estimate is that the
breadth sowed is two per cent. less
than last year. This does not accord with
estimates made from reports of the cores
pondents of the State Department. Ac-
cording to these, the area seeded in wheat
is greater than last year, but largely below
the average Of ten years past.
| 81 take this occasion Of soliciting cores
pondents to keep record of their reports,
so that they can refer to them at the cor
responding periods of subsequent years. In
order to save them trouble, wrapper was
sent with each postal card for this month,
printed in duplicate with it, with the request
that correspondents would fill them just like
the postals, and keep them for reference
hereafter, as standards of comparison. This
would be found very interesting, and would
refresh the memory, so as to enable much
more accurate opinion of the condition oil
crops to be formed. Some amongst our
best correspondents seem to have misap-
rehended the intention of these wrappers,
as they enclosed them back to us.
There are many accidents which may hap
pen to the wheat crop before it is secured.
so that forecasts made now may be very
wide of the mark, yet they are being made
A private letter from Milwaukee, from high
authority, says. "What information I have
mot Officially is that the wheat crop promises
well in the winter wheat States, except
Michigan and Kansas. The latter State
reports the condition very low, and esti
mates the yield at about thirteen million
bushels (say third of maximum crop
COM'R.) The area is considerably less thar
last year. Spring wheat is just coming up
The season, so far, has been exceedingly
favorable
| By the latest advices crops continue to be
well reported in Europe and in India
| "With view to ascertain where there il
an increased area laid down to grass, the
question was put, and one hundred anC
sixteen correspondents reported an increase
averaging between seventeen and eighteen
per cent. This is encouraging.
Gas the season since the spring opened
has been very favorable for grass, am un
able to account for the rather low percent
ages of the reports, except upon the sup
position that the roots were thrown out tx
some extent by the severe weather of Feb
rury. Perhaps also the flooding rains
about April list damaged meadows on th'
banks of streams"
Remarks on Virginia Wheat, condition
91.S1 per cent; some Hessian fly, and ont
report of chinch bug; also some report O
damage by floods.
Oats, Winter, condition 70 per cent; suf
fered by Winter killing; Spring, $3.50 pc
cent.
Rye, 90.70 per cent.
Clover, 90 per cent.
Timothy, orchard grass, &c, Oh per cent
| CORN.
"There will be a full crop planted-be
tween one and two per cent. over a full
average.
''The area already planted is 1859 pc
cent"
/ The Bulletin closes with remarks upor
fertilizers, their commercial values, and re
port of thu Chemist. Our Agricultural De
partment is accomplishing much good tt
the producing interests by the scrutiny ex
ercised in relation to the values of fertil
izers.
THE PRAIRIE FARMER-THE "HA1
NUMBER. For some time past the Prairi
Farmer has referred to a coming ''Ha!
Number" of that standard and interesting
weekly which we have often commended
for its great worth to the farmer, stock
grower. &c. The issue of the goth ult., ha