The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-01
WEATHER AND CROPS.
Bay State Has Been Favored Thus
Far This Season.
The Cold Wave OF March 81 Had
More or Less Effect Upon Young
Fruit Buds. ""f
BY The Associated Press.


with the Massachusetts, state board Of
agriculture, issued today the following
weather-crop bulletin for the week end
Ing April 3O. 1894, with q general sum
mary of the weather for the winter 1898 4.
The weather for the past winter in New
England has beep<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 (ls9D rs a month was
cold, though the last half was warmer
than usual, and the 25th was one of the
warmest Christmas days for q number 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 compare
lively little damage was done. The pre-
cipitation was slightly in excess. except
In western districts.
Msine's Low Temperature.
January was mild In all southern sec
tions, but was cold with strong tempera-
ture ranges in the extreme north. On the
10th and 1lth the temperature fell to 30s
or 400 below zero In northern Maine,
but there was a fairly good covering OF
snow, aud there has been no indication
OF injury 10 grass or grain roots or fruit.
The ground was not so well covered in
the south, but the cold was less intense
and probably nothing suffered.
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
codest for years. At Provincetown,
Mass, on Cape Cod, the temperature fell
TO - below zero-the lowest ever recorded
by the present observer. Along the
southern and eastern coasts the highest
for the day was from So to l2a above zero,
while in western Massachusetts, Ver-
mont and New Hampshire the warmest
part OF the day showed from "a to lie
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 much
damage to peaches. and various estimates
give from 90 per cent to 80 per cent killed.
March was extremely warm and dry.
All the first two thirds Of the month was
unseasonably wara; tho snow disap-
pearcd 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 27th. Very great dam
age was done in the central and southern
parts of the United States, and at first it
was feared that New England had suf-
fered with the rest. The following ex.
tracts are from prominent fruit growers:
Statements OF Fruit Growera
G. 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 is usually the case
when ruined by 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. III. hale. South Glastonbury, Conn:
Gas you may know, 60 to 30 per cent OF
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 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
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.:
"We find no indications that the recent
cold spell has injured the fruit buds in
this locality"
DIR. J. Fisher, Fitchburg, Mass: 'T
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 eveh less advanced,
and with few exceptions no damage is
feared.n
Favorable Spring Weather.
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 fine shape,
except where the drought of last year 4
makes thin stand now. The latter part
of the month was mostly dry, with only
one-fourth 10 one-haIf inch in the past
week; the general report Is 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 is 100 inches below the normal, |
and the deficiency from the usual amount |
since Jan. is fully 10 inches. Except |
this lack of rain, the weather in this state |
has been very favorable. Flowing has |
been begun, and in few instances grain |
has been sown and gardens planted,
though this work in not general yet. The |
at Houlton cites only one |
instance Of field potatoes being planted.
In northern New Hampshire and Yer. |
mont the conditions are much the same |
rs in Maine, except on the shores of Lake |
where the season is more ad. |
In the southern counties grain
has been mostly sown and some potatoes
and gardens planted. Grass looks espe-
cially well, and in a few pastures cattle
are getting 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 is ready for market.
Plums and cherries are I'm blossom and
buds are appearing very rapidly on other
fruit. At Grafton, Mass, raspberries