Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-04-28
CONDITION OF CROPS.
a VERY COLD AND BACKWARD
SEASON.
spring-seeded Crops Make Slow Progress
Acreage Of Oats Decreased-Winter
Wheat Slightly Improved-Corn Ground
Not Yet Ready.
Cold ana backward.

getting anything into the ground, and
1t seems almost an impossibllity to get
IL out even after 1t is In. This situation
has been brought about by an excess OF
moisture, lack of sunshine, and a low
degree Of temperature. The grass has
made slow growth, the winter wh9 at
ditto, and the Oat crop Is now only be-
ginning to break through the ground.
These conditions have been general
all through the lower lake regions, the
Ohio Valley, the Upper Mississippi and
the Missouri Valley, and when we travel
into the extreme Northwest we find all
these conditions In a much more aggra-
waited form. A year ago at this time all
over these areas the weather was favor
able, the growing crops in excellent
condition, the oats were practically all
seeded. and plowing for corn was In
progress. The last week Of April, 1891 +,
closed with the whole Northwest and
Southwest under full headway.
The wonderful revolution in farm ma
chinery as applied to putting in and
gathering the oat crop has pushed this
important crop rapidly to the front dur
ing the last few years and In area 1t now
comes next to the corn crop. Oat seed
ing commenced the present season the
last week OF March, but before much
was put into the ground heavy rain
storms put a stop to seeding. Since
April l the weather has been cold,
cloudy, and wet, and as soon as the
ground would get into condition to work
more rain would follow. The conse-
quence is that, taking the country over,
not the usual acreage has been put In
this spring, and large proportion OF
that has been sown under great diff
Guilty. On low, fat land, where the
water has stood, tho crop has more or
less rotted. Last year, although the
seeding of oats was late, the crop was
all in the ground by April Is. The
seeding Of oats will end practically
with this week. In one seDee OF the
word the cloudy weather, with the
ground 80 full OF moisture, has been a
favorable character in the history Of the
newly-sown crop; on the advent OF warm,
clear weather we ought to see rapid
growth in this crop. There are, how
ever, few fields to-day which look green
and show an even stand.
Nebraska reports that they are only
now Just finishing up the seeding OF the
crop, that the Job SO far has been poor
ly done. large percentage OF 1t was
practically "mudded in," and the earliest
sown is coming up slowly. The ground
and atmosphere are cold and damp and
warm sunshine with occasional showers
greatly needed.
In Iowa about two-thirds Of the oats
are now in the ground. On account OF
the low temperature vegetation of all
kinds is making little headw9y.
~ Spring wheat.
West Of the Missouri River in North
Dakota spring wheat seeding Is going
on. On the east side of the river, owing
to so much moisture, they have barely
commenced. Under the most favorable
circumstances, through the Red River
Valley on the Dakota side, 1t will take
three weeks of most favorable weather
for the ground to get into condition to
let farmers onto the ground. OF course
there will be isolated places where some
spring wheat can be seeded but general
seeding cannot begin before the first of
May. This is month or six weeks late,
and with these conditions frost Is liable
to catch the crop in August.
In South Dakota the wheat Is practi-
cally all sown. The seeding is some
what later than usual, but the soil is in
fine condition, which will counterbal-
ance that, probably, in the end. The
weather, however, keeps cold, with
more or less freezing every night. There
have been some few reports OF seed rot
ting in the ground.
In Central Minnesota about one-half
of the spring wheat has been sown.
None of the early sowh has come up yet.
Seeding will not be finished until May
1. The situation in this portion Of the
State indicates an increase Of acreage,
due more to the opening of new farms
than to increasing old ones. In South
ern Minnesota most OF the farmers are
4.
has been little oats or barley sown yet.
There is plenty OF moisture in the
ground, and wheat Is just coming up.
The weather is cold and warm growing
weather greatly needed.
Winter Wheat.
Telegraphic reports from San Fran
ciso show that drying winds have i'm
paired previous favorable conditions
Prospects still, however, are fairly good
with ordinarily favorable weather next
month.
Texas reports that the young wheat
will average ten inches high; the ex-
tremely late-sown wheat does not look
as we'll Corn is now large enough for
plowing. What little wheat now re-
mains In farmers hands Is still being
firmly held. Farmers are all up with
their work.
In Kentucky the early sown wheat is
about knee-high. There Is come COM
plant that it has been injured by frost
within the last ten days, but this will,
however, not amount to enough to make
any serious loss in the aggregate. On
account OF the lack of sunshine and the
excess OF moisture wheat has made slow
growth. The opinion seems to be now
that the crop will be about as good as
the one made last year. This statement
is based upon the fact that the late
wheat will turn out well.
Ohio reports that they need warm, dry
weather for wheat at the present time.
The average height Of the crop is now
from four to six inches. On low lands
wheat is poor and spotted. In the
northern portion of the State the cold
weather is holding wheat back. Fields
are spotted and many OF them will not
produce more than half a crop.
On the river bottoms IN Southern In
diana the early sown wheat is now high
and looks we'll. Late sown wheat ie
poor and thin on the ground. In Central
Indiana wheat has done well during the
last ten days, Notwithstanding the
weather has been cold, cloudy, and wet
The late sown wheat has improved some
though more or less spotted. In Northern
Indiana late wheat Is decidedly thin on
the ground, but the early wheat promises
to do fairly well.
In Central Illinois wheat has made
but little growth during the last fourteen
days. The color Is good and the croI
now averages from six to ten inches II
NJ So,tho,, rt.t,,<ts tho ,,ov, nral ,.,y,.lf 4