Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-01
NEW ENGLAND CROPS.
Summary Of the Weather
for the Past Winter.
GROUND WELL PROTECTED.
Fruit Growers Report That Peaches
Suffered the Most Damage.


weather-crop bulletin for the week end
Ing April 30 1894. with a general sum
mary OF the weather for the winter 1884
reads as follows;
The weather for the past winter In New
England has been generally favorable for
grass and winter grains, and for fruits,
except peaches.
The fall was pleasant and open and
much work was completed, and the
ground put into good shape for the win
ter. December (s99 as a month was
cold, though the last half was warmer
than usual, and the 25th was one Of the
warmest Christmas days for q numb ber OF
years The l4th was an extremely cold
day; but through all the coldest weather
the ground was well covered with snow
throughout New England and cOmpara-
lively little damage was done. The pre-
cipitation was slightly In excess, except
In western districts
January was mild in all southern sec
tions, but was cold with strong tempera-
ture ranges in the extreme north. On the
10th and llth the temperature fell to 800
or 400 below zero in northern Maine,
but there WAS fairly good covering OF
snow, and there has been no indication
of injury to grass or grain roots or fruit.
the south, but the cold was less intense
and probably nothing suffered.
A "wlnter" Month
February was the "winter" month of
the season, and gave much stormy, cold
weather. The Gath was the coldest day
for the month, and In many places the
coldest for years. At Provincetown,
Mass, on Cape Cod, the temperature fell
to 10 below zero-the lowest ever recorded
by the present observer. Along the
southern and eastern coasts the highest
for the day was from 80 to Ice above zero,
while In western Massachusetts,, Yer
mont and New Hampshire the warmest
part Of the day showed from - to 10
below zero. The ground was well pro-
tected with snow through all this cold
and little damage was done to roots.
Fruit growers, however, report mucf
damage to peaches. and various estimates
give from 60 per cent to 80 per cent killed.
March was extremely warm and dry.
All the first twothirds of the month was
unseasonably warm; the snow disap-
peared rapidly, and buds began to swell
and even to start slightly. The last part
Of the month was colder, with a sharp
cold wave on the eth. Very great dam
age was done In the central and southern
parts of the United States, and at first 1t
was feared that New England had suf-
fered with the rest. The following ex-
tracts are from prominent fruit growers:
Correspondent Reports
c. w. Hubbard, Middletown, Conn.,, is
convinced that no damage has been done
to apple or pear buds. as they had not
reached a stage of development to sus-
tain injury. In regard TO peach buds he
has made an examination, and upon cut
ting them open found them softened but
not discolored, as il usually the case
when ruined 10y cold. He has made COM
parsons throughout the orchards in the
state, and calculates that the amount
saved will be about 10 per cent.
j. h. Hale, South Glastonb bury, Conn.
"As you may know, 60 to 80 per cent oi
the peach buds In Connecticut were killed
by the cold weather of Feb. "a; the bal
ance was evenly distributed over the
trees and were badly swollen by the
warm weather. Careful examination
now shows that not more than 2 per cent
of those remaining have been injured by
the cold of this month (March) and il no
further damage Is done there Is still a
fair prospect of crop Of peaches of most
varieties throughout central Connecticut
and, / am inclined to think. all over the
state"
Professor l.. +. Kinney, Kingston, r. l.:
1--WE fad no indications that the recent
cold spell has injured the fruit buds in
this locality"
DIR. J. Fisher, Fitchburg Mass: II
think no buds OF fruit trees were suffici-
emily swollen to be injured by the re-
cent cold spell. The buds in the three
northern states were even less advanced,
and with few exceptions no damage is
feared"
April q Good Month.
April has been generally very favorable
for farm WORK and growth Of crops, and
the end of the month finds the season
fully two weeks ahead OF the average.
Grass is universally reported In ius shape.
except where the drought Of last year
makes thin stand now. The latter part
of the month was mostly dry, with only
one-fourth to one-h half inch In the past
week; the general report 10 that the top
OF the ground is getting quite dry and
that rain would advance vegetation very
much.
At Eastport, Me, the rainfall for the
month 10 l.B0 inches below the normal,
and the deficiency from the usual amount
since Jan. l Is fully 10 inches. Except
this lack Of rain, the weather in this state
has been very favorable Flowing has
been begun, and In a few instances grain
has been sown and gardens planted,
though this work Is not general ret The
correspondent at Houlton cites only one
Instance Of field potatoes being planted.
In northerh New Hampshire and Yer
mont the conditions are much the same
as in Maine, except on the shores Of Lake
Champlsin, where the season is more sd-
vancsd. In the southern counties grain
has been mostly sown and some potatoes
and gardens planted. Grass looks espe-
cially well, and in few pastures cattle
arc crsSins their entire living.
Quite . good deal Of work has been
done In Massachusetts,; early vegetables
are coming up; asparagus has been cut In
places and rhubarb 10 ready for market
Plums and cherries are In blossom and
buds are appearing very rapidly on other
fruit At Grafton, Mass, raspberries
were badly winter killed. Rye 10 almost
ready 10 cut In some fslds