Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-05-05
From the West Virginia Farm Bulletin.l
Summary Of Crop Reports.

For this Bulletin we have received re-
ports from I2o correspondents, located
in various sections of so out of 81 coun-
ties of the State. We failed to get an
swers from the reporters in the counties
of Cabell, Mason, Mineral and Wyo-
ming.
WHeat.-It will be remembered that 1t
was stated last fall in our November Bull
letin that only twelve counties in the
State reported a good stand of wheat,
owing to the extreme dry weather which
prevented the grain from sProuting.
The wheat in most counties has been
well protected by snow during the past
WRITER and the weather this spring has
been very favorable, causing the plants
to recover from the poor start made last
fall. Out of4S counties reporting wheat
5 report the condition 10 per cent better
than at the same period last year, re-
ports : per cent better, II report wheat
as good as last year, while IS counties
report the condition from 5to 50 per cent
under what it was April 20, 1892; 20
counties report a good stand, 6 fair
stand, and - report the stand poor, DAM
age having been done by drought and
winter freezing. The general average
for the State, compared to last year, IS
a little over % per cent.
CAUSE.-THE condition Of clover and
other grasses comparable average years
is about 93 per cent. -Four out of the 80
counties report the condition 10 per cent
better than usual twenty-four report
grass as good as average years, while
the remainder report the condition be-
low. Seventeen counties report grass
damaged by freezing and other causes,
while $ counties report no damage.
As to the preparation for the coming
crops, the indications are that the acre
age Of corn, oats, potatoes, Sc, will be
greatly increased. Correspondents from
81 counties are unanimous i'll the opinion
that preparation is being made for much
larger crops. Correspondents from IS
counties report the preparation as usual,
while one county is reported as dccrcaS-
ing the acreage. The weather has been
very favorable for sowing oats and plow-
ing for corn and this work IS well adj
vanccd.
Lie .SI0ck.-Thc condition of live
stock, owing to the scarcity of feed and
hard winter, is not as good as at the cor
responding period of last year. Al
though % counties report all stock free
from diseases, i'll some counties a mild
form of distcmpcr is reported among
horses. Rot and scab prevail among
sheep in a few counties. Some few
Young cattle have died with "black
scours" in Putnam, and Mercer reports
hog cholera However, no epidemic OF
a serious nature exists and live stock,
though reduced i'll flesh, are more healthy
this year than were shown by last springs
reports. The general average condition
of horses is 81 per cent; cattle, 81 per
cent sheep, 81 per cent; hogs, 81 per
cent.
The prices of farm products vary &C
cording to the location Of the counties.
III the counties remote from railroads, or
almost exclusively devoted to mining,
produce is reported as selling high. The
price of wheat ranges from 65 cents to
SI.oo per bushcl, while corn runs from
As cents to 90 cents per bushel. The gen
cral average price of wheat is - cents,
corn 65 cents, oats ~ cents, and potatoes
90 cents per bushcl. The general aver
age prices for last year were for wheat
e5.5 cents, corn SIS cents, oats AS
cents, potatoes 50 cents. Hay is scarce
and high, timothy hay selling for S22 Ill
Wayne county. The general average for
clover hay per ton is 1852, as against
So. is last year; that of timothy is Sl5.95
per ton, as against SIG.55 last April.
The general average price ofhorses per
head is a little over 81. Corresponding
price last April, 81. Mules SSI, being
same as last year; COWS S22.46, as against
S22.27 last April. Stock cattle will give
general average of i little over 5 cents
perl ID. Ewes S5.29, as against S3.44 last
April. Stock hogs are very scarce and
high scllingiu some sections forS, Ioand
II cents per pound and giving a general
average Of SIS cents.