Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-08-18
s1AIl soAss or Ass,eutruaf-


,erizy Bulletin No. 4. for the season Of
1897, On the weather and the condition and
prospects Of the crops Of the State
for the month ending Amgist Is. Hsa
psmphlef replese with sxesiient suggestions
from farmers. and Of value to all Interested
in the harvest Of the year which com
meneea with the securing Of the hay crop
last month.
The monthly range Of temperature the
pass month was great while ths mean Tor
the month wzA considerably above shs
average. From the 9Th to the -th The
night temperzfures we're unusually low Tor
Jaly and again on the 18th the ther-
u,afDetsr fell dangerously near the frosf
point, although no damage has been
| rerorfed. From the 10th 10 18th high tenn
perxtures prevailed and again from the ga
| 10 2sth spell Of vncomf0r:ably hot weather
vas experienced. Even at Eastpon Fhe'e
the temperature never rms very high 50
degrees vas Registered By the ses1hef
| huYean On the 2s;ih The amount OF clouds
aad number Of rainy days sas eorsss'eraniy
| below the average while the amount Oh SUB
| chin. vas greater than usual. The days of
hish Temperature and sunshine advanced
the corn and other crops rapidly except
where they were affected BY the drought,
and the bulk Of the hay crop was secured
| ia most excellent condition.
ia his review Of the crop yisids and
general conditions of the leading Maine
crops. Secretary Mekeen presents the fol-
fowing interesting summary:
U.r.-This being the staple crop Of the
STATE great interest centres In H. Meas
pred by the full returns from all sections II
| i doubtful If the crop falls much below That
| Indicated 10 the july bulletin. fifteen per
cent, probably about twenty psr cent
throughout the. western AMI middie
portions Of the state the
| ~. il considerably greater but as
se approach the eastern boondery the fuli
| crop Of 1871 has been eqnalled. Some
writer's place the falling off at thirty three
! Der cent. but the facts do not confirm thus
| abatement What is lost in quantity IL
probably made up in quality, for never was
! there a year when the hay crop has been
| harvested in better condition than this. anu
is a natural consequence It's feeding yaIue
must be- proportionately increased. The
| frequent showers following the clearing OF
| the fields have given the grass good start
! and this serves az good protection 10 the
| roots during the heated term This has
also insured a continuance Of good feed ID
the pastures 40 that many who are usually
Obliged TO resort Ia the hay mows in August
will make substantial saving while the
| stock will continue TO improve.
| GRAM The universal verdict is that the
present condition of the grain crop is con-
| .idefabiy above the average. Everywhere
| it il reported AZ making a good stand and
! 4 a Il IL
dca,ed and if the good weather continues
through the harvesting period the grain crop
of Maine will be exceptionally fine. Of
/ course the greater bulk will be of oats but
| there is a noticeable increase of mixed grain
10 take the place of western feed for stock.
| HON Caors-The general condition OF
| hoed crops is reported fairly good though |
the extreme Try weather in June has ma
terialy affected the potato prospects so
that there will be a decided falling OIL in |
the Weld In some sections rust is reported |
| and this will also reduce the quantity. The |
continued hot weather of July and August !
has been very favorable to the corn so that |
the loss, earlier in the season has been well
nigh made up and at the present writing the |
crop promises TO bc bountiful. While |
nearly all resort to agents destructive 10 |
the life of the potato bug no reports have /
reached this office of experiments being |
made to prevent rust from striking the
crop.
YotSa k.--Young stock il doing |
we'll. the late rains having insured an alum |
dance of good feed.
FRrn-fruit prospects are not equal to
las, year though very fair An average
orop of winter apples will doubtless be
gathered but the loss will chiefly be in fall
varieties Dry weather when the fruit was
setting stopped the growth and smaller size |
seems Indicated though the coming month /
NAV entirely change the outlook.
WoRLb's FAiR.-tur correspondents /
seem To have a general impression, and one |
which is of importance, that
there should be concerted action to secure /
n satisfactory exhibit of the farm products
of Maine at the coming Worlds Fair, Espec
,lv il it emphasized that the canned goods /
ani the fruit b. made prominent also the /
grasses and samples of the grains. As Maine |
can compete with any Western state in /
grain Yield per acre. the suggestions that
sheaves of Maine grown grain be- shown /
seem not only pertinent but eminentiy |
proper II there can be hearty cooperation I
among the agricultural sections such an ex
hihit can easily he provided for and it seems (
rs though this could readily be comprised. 1
Interesting extracts are given in the Bull I
l-tin from the leading farmers IN the differ
ent counties. These contain excellent hints
and suggestions of practical nature, for
which we could wish we had room in this
issue Of the .I"uRLAL, as they are all worthy
of being real and each one contains some
thought or fact of experience that is
worthy of being needed, Fortunately the
entire pamphlet is given very wide eircu-
aiion among farmers of the State, and We
shall also endeayor in a subsequent issue to
refer to many of these brief commanica-
tons and also to copy some of the good
suggestions which they contain.
Two years ago the Democrats in their
platform adopted by various state conven-