The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-04-04
CONDITION OF CROPS.
THE OUTLOOK FAVORABLE IN. THE
MAJORITY OF STATES.
A Good Stand of Wheat and Oats Depend
ing Upon Early and Copious Rains-yhe
Spring Wheat Belt Still Dry-Winter
Wheat Holding Its Own.


[Chicago special1
March closed with an unusual amount OF
spring seeding completed. There is not a
State east OF the Mississippi River, and
also Iowa and Nebraska, but stands in
great need not only of showers but copious
rains. Otherwise the stand OF small grain
Goats and spring wheat will come up ir =
regularly and uneven.
While the attention Of the country for the
last two or three weeks has been turned
almost exclusively to rain for seeding pur-
poses, it ought not be forgotten that no
crop stands to-day in greater need of a de-
clded change Tor the better than the grass.
winch has been at a standstill
for the last thirty days. The value
and Importance of this crop not only
to the farmer but to the country at
large cannot be ovare stimated, and this is
the time to make this statement with ref
erence to it. The crop of 1888 was a good
one, gathered and secured in excellent con-
dltlon, and, as the daily receipts in Chicago
show. hay forms now one of the leading
products of the Northwest. The fall and
winter was so dry that the grass made little
growth, and the conditions have been such
that farmers have used their pastures stead
lily and almost uninterruptedly for over a
year There has not been a week since the
LIST OF January, 1889, when stock has not
been turned out in the fields and meadows.
Hence, on the opening of April, when the
grass ought to be growing finely, it is found
everywhere brown, eaten off closely, and
depending entirely upon surface moisture
for it's present subsistence.
There is probably no crop to-day grown
In the Northwest that stands in greater need
OF coplous rains than the grass crop. Rains
must be timely. April showers, while they
bring May flowers, also bring grass, and
rains now to the grass are worth double
what they will be thirty days hence
1t is perfectly safe to say that at least
three-quarters of the spring wheat is now
in the ground in Southern Minnesota and
Southern Dakota. The ground is in fine
condition except that it is too dry, This
complaint is almost universal. Some farm
ers in Dakota are holding off their seeding
on account of the ground being so dry, and
look for an uneven stand, and, in fact, do
not think the grain will sprout at all until
rain comes.
There is an increase Of acreage over last
year. Correspondents on the Manitoba
Road in North Dakota do not complain so
much OF drouth as in Southern Dakota.
There is practically at present no movement
of grain from this area from farmers hands.
In Nebraska the farmers are getting along
rapidly with their oat seeding, and good
progress has also been made in Iowa.
Northern and Central Illinois have become
during the last few years one vast oat field,
trespassing, as it has, largely upon the acre
age OF corn. In fact, oats, grass and corn
are evenly divided SO far as their crop acre
age is concerned. There has been and at
tho present time there is no crop which the
farmer plants or soWS which has proved
more remunerative and given better weld
for the labor expended upon it than the oat
crop. The seeding of oats enables the
farmer also to rotate his crops, which tends
to keep the soil in better condition.
SO far as the stocks of old oats are con-
cerned and as the 1st of May is coming, the
interest in the question of reserves at the
present time in trade cannot be over
estimated Nebraska reports that there
are a great many oats left, but the major
ity OF them OF poor quality. The oat crop
OF Iowa was poor one in quality and has
been used mostly for home CONSUMPTION.
The movement from this State will be
small. The great bulk of the oat crop of the
country is held in Northern and Central
Illinois, and after seeding is over and corn
is planted the movement of oats from this
area ought to be free and large.
The last ninety days have been exceed
ingly fine for feeding hogs. Corn has been
plenty everywhere, and it has been just as
easy to fit and prepare hogs for market dur
ing this period as in the fall of the year.
There has been no trouble and in fact no
trick at all, to get the pigs in the pen;" but,
on the other hand, they have been'so fat
that the great trouble has been to get them
out. On general principles, while the re-
ceipts may be fair during April and May,
there does not seem to be anything in the
situation that points to increase in the run
of hogs until early in the summer or late in
the fall. A large proportion Of last springs
pigs have been fed and forwarded which
naturally would not have showed their
noses until June. This is owing, of course,
to the exceedingly fine winter and spring
the country has enjoyed for feeding all
kinds of stock.
The hog crop of the country is generally
healthy. In fact, reports of hog cholera are
more the exception than the rule,
In the northern portion of the winter
wheat belt the weather has continued dry.
In the southern portion, north of the Ohio
River, comprising the area of Southern Hi
nois, Indiana, and Ohio, the conditions
have been fairly normal. In Missouri and
Kansas. cOpiouS rains. In Tennessee and
kentucky, and Texas the crop is growing
rapidly.
During the month of February California
passed through critical period to the crop.
No rain fell from Dec. % to March 8, and
with cold, dry weather the outlook began
to look blue; but the Sth ult., the rains
came. and up to the Goth six inches had
fallen. This situation assures good crops
of wheat and barley. In many places these
grains are now from ten to twelve inches
high. And should the average rainfall of
April and May come the yield of wheat and
barley in California must be above the aver
age.
The general movement in grain over the
State indicates shortage of supply on
hand. Mills are not running on full time.
The industries on the coast are becoming
more and more varied and diversified ev cry
year. Even the hog yield is increasing. and
the product of pork this season will as
tonish the Eastern shippers to this coast.
The corn crop is also increasing in area
from year to year, but does not begin to
supply the demand for home consumption.
The enormous extent of vineyards and
orchards would seem to lessen the amount
sOwn to grain. Such is not the case.
The winter wheat situation, looking at it
from the Pacific to the lakes, notwithstand-
ing there is a lack of moisture and the
crop backward, it is found that the winter
wheat has held it's own in nearly every
State in the winter wheat belt. If there
has been any falling off in condition it is in
Michigan and in some portions of North
ern Ohio and Indiana Reports of winter
killing and of wheat being plowed up are
few. So far as the reserves in farmers
bands are concerned, the movemen for
some time has been practically nothing.