Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-13
Michigan Crop Report.

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March was remarkable for high
temperature and moderate amount of
precipitation. Reports are not yet
at hand from all stations in the State,
but at the State Board of Health sta
ton at Lansing the records show it to
have been the warmest March in six
teen years. The mean temperature
of the month was 40.4S degrees, or 0
degrees above the normal. The mean
temperature of the first twenty-four
days was about 44.65 degrees, or l3
degrees above the normal. The high
est temperature recorded was "A de-
grees on the 18th. A cold wave passed
over the State on the 25th, and the
weather from that date to the end of
the month was severely cold. The
mean temperature of the last week of
the month was below % degrees. On
the 25th temperature dropped to 10
degrees. This was the lowest point
touched during the month.
Since April l the temperature has
gone below the freezing point on all
except two days. On the LIST it
dropped to 81 degrees, on the 2d to
%, and on the nights of the eth and
Sth to %. This morning, April 9th,
there is a strong, cold wind from the
east.
The average precipitation in March
was 1.26 inches. Three inches of snow
fell on the 2Sth.
AS usual wheat on the summit and
west side of hills, and on clay and
undrained lands, has been somewhat
injured, but as n whole the crop has
wintered we'll. The averages of the es-
Inmates of correspondents are for the
southern counties, 50 per cent central
counties, 81 per cent; northern coun-
ties, "a per cent; and State 90 per cent,
comparison being with average years.
IN their remarks re-
port the crop in good condition, much
better condition than usual at the end
of an "open" March. In 1898 the
average condition April 1, in the
southern counties was 81, central 81,
State "a; in 1892, southern counties 80,
central, go, and State 90. The average
condition this year, in the southern
counties is eight points better, and in
the State six points better than on
April /, 1893.
The total number Of bushels of
wheat reported marketed by farmers
in March is 1888 ,557 and in the eight
months, August-March, laps, 596,
which is 106,674 bushels less than re-
ported marketed in the same months
last year. At q elevators and mills
from which reports have been received,
there was no wheat marketed during
the month.
Theaverage condition ofclover mead
ows and pastures is as follows: South
ern counties 70 per cent, central 81
northern 95 and State So per cent.
Farm animals are in good condition.
During the warm weather that pre-
vailed previous to the 25th of March
fruit buds developed to some consider
able extent, and grave fears were felt
that the cold wave of that date would
work great harm if not ruin to the
crop. A large number of letters, which
will be published in full in the final
report, have been received from fruit
specialists since April /, but at the
time they were written the growers
themselves were not entirely satisfied
as to the amount of damage. The
Grand River Valley Horticultural
Society, March %, believed no harm
had been done, but one of its members
few days later found pears and
peaches badly injured Iona growers
think their crop injured but a trifie.
A st. Joseph correspondent thinks
peaches all killed. At South Haven a
fair crop of all kinds of fruit is expect.
ed. In Washtenaw peach buds had
! "started to bloom" i'm some cases
showing color. All such on low ground
are killed. while those on higher
ground are not injured. Apple and
other fruits on high lands have es
capped.
A fair conclusion from these letter:
is that the early and tender varietie,
of fruit, especially peaches and pears
have been injured, but the later ano
harder kinds are yet safe. This i,
particularly true of apples. There il
no reason why n full crop of this frui
should not be expected.
WASHINGTON GARDNER,