The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-16
STATE OF THE CROPS.
MAGNIFICENT SUMNER REPORT
II Has just Been Com piled by the Commits
sioner OF Agriculture and Takes In
all Sections of the State.

Colonel Thomas Whitehead, Commits
sioner of Agriculture. has just issued mag
nificent midsummer report OF the state Of
the crops compiled from large number OF
answers to inquiries sent out. The report
contains valuable statistical information
and interesting notes. The Commissioner
says:
While the State Of Virginia is divided by
biologists into Tidewater. Middle. Pied
mont, the Valley, Blue Ridge and APP
palachia. the agricultural products OF the
State 10 several of these divisions are SINH
lar, making them. as it were. run into each
other.
1T has been therefore thought wise for
convenience and clearness 10 divide the
State into three agricultural sections as fol-
lows: Iidewater. Middle. including Pied
mont and the Blue Ridge. and the Great
Valley, including Appalachia.
Underwater.
OF the Tidewater section he says:
This year the crops of wheat and oats
have been very fine in many counties these
crops exceed anything that has been har-
vested for years
TO be- fairly good In some counties the
corn worm has done some damage.
Spring hay was cut below the average by
the cold spells of the spring: butth annual
grass, for which this section is famous,
sprnging up in the fall aud yielding an
abundant crop, will bring the crop up to
the average.
The sweet and Irish potato crops, which
are cultivated extensively in this section,
I fEG wa N
Trucking was damaged TO some extent By
! the protrscted cold and frosts OF the middle
/ of April, but our reports give the yield and
condition TO be good.
The yield Of fruits will be very short, as
the frosts of the spring resulted very Sc
riously 10 them. The prospect for grapes is
better than the other fruits.
/ The acreage of berries this year will be
large. as this crop for the past two or three
/ years has proven very remuneratve
The low prices offered for peanuts have
curtaled largely the acreage of that crop IN
! this section.
From our reports il seems that the cult
walton of cotton IN Virginia is on the de-
crease.
Pastures are in fine condition.
Many counties report labor scarce and un-
reliable. which is quite a serious drawback
! to successful farming.
MIDDLE VIRGINIA.
The cold. wet weather in the early spring
retarded the planting OF corn and the
preparation for tobacco, and kept back the
growth of grass and wheat. but the season
| since has been more favorable. Some OF
our correspondents report that the crops
are better than they have been for number
of years, with the exception or hay. when
has only a prospect of about two-thirds OF a
full crop.
Pastures are reported in good condition.
The fruit crop is reported very inferior, as
is the case throughout Virginia. The Kill;
ing frost Of April, caused by the protracted
cold spell from the 10th to the 10th, was
general. and the result very disastrous.
Many of our correspondents from this
section refer 10 the scarcity and unrellablllty
OF labor as the cause of much trouble TO the
farmers.
THE VALLEY.
In the Valley of Virginia the average o.
the crops peculiar TO this section Is goou.
The acreage is little less than last year
but the prospect is better.
The fruit crop in the Valley was not a.
much damaged as in the other sec
| tons. Some counties report tolsrnDly
| good prospect for fruit.
Labor in this section is not reported 81
scarce as in the other parts of Virginia. bu
the majority of the counties report good la
Dor to be difficult to obtain.
From our information the crops OF wheat
corn and tobacco in the State at large are
equal in prospect to any IN the State toi
several years.
The first cutting OF hay is short. Timothy
and herds-grsss are better than clover anc
the earlier grasses. Judging by past years
the fall crop of hay from annual grasses and
the aftermath Of the hay crop are good snc
will give us an average crop for the year.
Cotton is decreasing in area. although we
have large number OF counties that could
cultivate cotton proftably.
While Virginia has the finest peanut lands
In the United States. the low price of thi:
crop has decreased the acreage in the
| State.
Irish and sweet potatoes are full crops a.
far as present production and prospect give
evidence, Both are becoming large ant
important crops i'll certain sections of thi:
/ State.
Melons. growing out of the increased "a
cilities for marketing trucks, are becoming
important and in view of the short frul
crop this year will prove remuneratiye.