Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-04-12
CONDITION OF CROPS.
THE OUTLOOK HAv0KAn1K m IKE
MAJORITY OF STATES.
A Good Stand of wheat and Oats Depend
ing Upon Early and Copious Rains-The
Spring Wheat Belt stu Dry-winter
Whont Holding TIA Own

rains. Otherwise the stand Of small grain
(oats and spring wheaU will come up ir-
regularly and uneven.
While tho 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 de-
cided change tor the better than the grass.
for the s last tR ieS days rS Stsn Sslae
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 mako this statement with ref.
erence to it. The crop of 1888 was good
one. gathered and secured in excellent con-
ditton. and us the daily receipts in Chicago
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
year. There has not been a week since the
lst 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 copious 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 ccount OF the ground being so dry, and
look for an uneven stand. add 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
Roadin 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
mas as1 pen made IN
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.
tho present time there is no crop which the.
farmer plants or sows which has proved
more remunerative and given better yield
for the labor lat expended upon it than the oat
J farmer also to rotate his crops, which tends
to keep the soil in better condition.
So fur as the stocks of old oats are con-
.. cerned and as the LIST of May is coming. the
interest in the question of reserves ut the
present time in trade cannot be over
: estimated. Nebraska reports that there
J are d great many oats left. but the major
r 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
2 small. The great bulk of the oat crop of the
Q country is held in Northern and Central
IT Is planted the movement Of oats from thit
l. area ought to be free and large.
The last ninety days have been exceed
'. easy to fit and prepare hogs for market dur
. ing this period as in the fall Of the year.
Z There has been no trouble. and In fact no
= trick at all, to get the pigs in the pen;" but
that the great trouble has been to get them
Y out. On general principles. while the re-
Il 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
9 the fall. A large proportion OF last spring 8
J. pigs have been fed and forwarded which
9 naturally would not have showed their
+ 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
Z healthy. In fact. reports Of hog cholera are
t more the exception than the rule.
o In the northern portion of the winter
wheat belt the weather has continued dry.
r In the southern portion. north Of the Ohio n!
!. River, comprising the area of Southern Illi-
! nois, Indiana. and Ohio. the conditions
= have been fairly normal. In Missouri and
Kansas. copious rains. In Tennessee and
Q Kentucky. and Texas the crop is growing
q rapidly.
: During the month of February California
a passed through u critical period to the crop.
a No rain fell from Dec. 80 to March 8. and
. with cold, dry weather the outlook began
. came, and up to the Goth six inches had
q fallen This situation assures good crops
9 of wheat and barley. In many places these
grains are now from ten to twelve inches
o high. And should the average rainfall OF
Il April and May come the yield Of wheat and
- barley in California must be above the aver
10 age.
- The general movement in grain over the
E State indicates a shortage of supply on
Is hand. Mills are not running on full time.
q The industries on the coast are becoming
j. more and more varied and diversified every
# year. Even the hog. yield is increasing: ane
- tonish the Eastern shippers to this coast
D The corn crop is also increasing in area
70 from year to year. but does not begin te
q supply the demand for home consumption
orchards would seem to lessen the amount
sown to grain. Such is not the case.
The winter wheat situation. looking at |
from the Pacific to the lakes. notwithstand
~ ing Cnefe Is d lack u mOlStuio sal1u III
IN crop backward. it is found that the winte
wheat has held its own in nearly ever
NJ State in tho winter wheat belt. II ther
- has been any falling of in condition it is il
l. Michigan and in some portions of North
to ern Ohio and Indiana. Reports of winter
killing 81 of wheat being plowed up ar
le few SO 1ar as the reserves in farmers
IA bands are C ncerned. the movement TO
- some time hi heen practically nothing.
Oh All Sorts.
HENRY BELL, colored, killed Vic
i Wickliffe, also colored at Curdsville, Ky
OF REUBEN SANDS, q years old, killed hi
- brother George in New York by stabbin
- him with jack-knife.
- KoosTMAN & Co.'s furniture factory {