Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-16

in few days will be issued from the De-
partment Of Agriculture. 1t will be
ncatly-prInted pamphlet containing SIX
teen pages of tabular statistics and gene
raj notes upon the products OF the helds
Of the ola Commonwealth.
The information thus 10 be given is OF a
very encouraging character, not Only 10
farmers, but to merchants, manufacturers,
and bankers, The report is probably one
OF the most important documents ever
issued from the department. III treats IN
tabular form the condition and prospect
OF eyerv crop IN each county IN the state.
Three immense tables show the percent
age in each county OF Underwater, Mlddle
Virginia, and the great Valley. as to pros
pect and acreage.
IMPROVING EVERY DAY.
In the report the Commissioner says:
THE general condition or agriculture
In this State as pertains 20 the CULTIVATION
OF the soil IS good and improving every
day. More attention - being pad 10 tue
mode of farming and new ana improved
methods are being adopted.
1.-THE farmer secs the necessity OF Keep
ing abreast Of the times and - bringing
into practice the many new developments
that nave been made IN agriculture during
recent years. ..,
Correspondents report that improved
machinery is being used more generally
than heretofore. Farmers are also dis
PLAYING more intelligence In the purchase
OF fertilizers and the application oil same
TO their lands.
The success of intensive farming is
becoming more apparent every day.
The department is gratiied to report
that many correspondents note decided
Improvement IN the fertility OF the lands
OF their counties.
"Some counties have reported that
farmers feel depressed, but the reason as
signed is the low prices OF farm products
on account of the unprecedented string
ency in the money market ana the scarcity
aud unreliabilItv of farm labor. In a few
other counties that reported agriculture
10 be OH the decline the department round
that the attention OF the people was en-
gaged IN fisheries, numbering, or some
other occupation to the neglect Oh agrl-
culture.
FRUITS AND CEREALS.
1.-The fruit crop was damaged generally
by the frost of April oath. The most
serious damage was in Appalachla, where
frult will be almost an entire failure. Last
wear Appalachla was the only section OF
Virginia where the fruit crop amounted TO
ANYTHING at alt Middle Virginia and Tide
water will have a fair yield OF fTu't. Inc
weld Tor the entire ctht0 VIII OS uHuSh
laraer than that OF last year.
The season has been very favorable TOT
cereals For the last three years the wheat
crop has been exceptionally line, and the
weld this year will eclipse them all Inc
prospect for good yield OF oats ana corn
Is fatteIlng.
sHay is about the Same as last year. In
some counties the crop will be short.
Pastures were kept back by the cold,
wet spring. but have come out well ana
are now reported III good condition.
Tho tobacco crop iii Middle Virginia is
not reported quite as good as last year.
The prospect for the whole State IS put at
81, the same as last year, with quite an ln-
crease III acreage.
Eight counties report on cotton this
year, while only four reported last season.
The general prospect IS better, with an IN
creased acreage.
There are fourteen counties reporting
on peanuts. an Increase OF two over last
war. fhe prospect this year IS gwen at
O., with an acreage of 80. Last year the
prospect was put al 50 with an acreage OF 50,
MOTIFS on TIDEwArEE.
I'm Tdewater the season, with the ex-
ceptlop of the cold weather OF toe early
sprinp. which damaged to some extent the
trucks, has been generally favorable.
"lhe wheat crop is reported to be
good one, but the average prospect Tor
this section is not as high as last year, 1t
being 1913 last and 50 this year.
The prospect for a large yield of corn
is fine. The outlook for the crop is much
better than last year. with ABOUT an equal
acreage.
The oat crop is an Improvement over
last year, both IN prospect ana acreage
The prospect this year is " compared with
50 last year, with an acreage OF "a this
year and 81 last year.
" he hay crop ia reported snort, the
prospect being put at rs.
Only four counties report on cotton
and give a prospect oil 50. Three counties
reported last year, and the prospect gwen
was "a. The acreage given this year is 70,
an increase of % over last.
Tobacco is not a general crop IN this
section. Five counties report prospect OF
90. with q full acreage.
ZINE POTATO CROPS.
Irish and sweet potatoes are the great
truck crops Of this section. 1t Is esti-
mated that within an area of twenty miles
around Norfolk q half million barrels OF
tins crop will be raised. They are selling
now for 1895 to $3.50 per barrel:
Pastures are reported IN a fair condi-
There will be large increase in the
yield of fruit over last year.
THE cultivation OF Strawberries IS
found to be very rsmunerative. and there
is an increased acreage this year.
THE usual area OF cucumbers, toma-
toes. melons, aud onions were planted. and
the crops are reported good.
1.-The Canada pea grows well in this sec
tion of Virginia, but the difficulty is to
sow crop with it that will ripen soon
enough.
MIDDLE vIBGINIA.
1.-THE general prospect for crops in this
section IS better than last year.
Wheat will yield full crop, with an
Corn shows good prospect-better
by than last year. There is full acre
This section shows better prospect
for oats than the other two and a good
yield Is expected.
"Hay, as in tho other sections, is quite
short The prospect is put at only 70,
which is decrease of in comparison with
last year.
-Four counties give cotton q prospect
of so, an increase of 8 over last year.
1.-The tobacco crop. which is the princi-
nal money crop of this section, IS report
cd to be not in quite as good condition as
this time last year. One of the largest
tobacco-raising counties reports that q
great many of the plants died after being
set out. lue prOspoct luis year - w. COn-
pared with "a last year, while the acreage
is put at %, an increase Of over last
year. -,
1.-The Irish.potato crop Is good, the
prospect being put at 81. The sweet
potato crop Is fair, the prospect being
given at 81.
-Four counties reporting on peanuts
put the prospect at 30, an increase of 8
over last year.
Pastures are very good. their condition
being rated at 90.
AS in other parts of the State there
will be large increase 10 the yield of
fruit
THE GREAT VALLEY,
1.-THE prospect for large yield of wheat
in the Valley Is the best that has been
known in this section of the State for
years. There will be an increase in the
yield over last year, which was an excep-
tionally fine one. In Augusta county 1t Is
reported that some farms wall yield as
high as twenty and twenty-five bushels
per acre. CLARKE county reports the best
wheat for years, but some fields have
been injured slightly by scab. In Pulaski.