Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-10-23
EBEN II. lluNriIREr.
FROM Ins VALLEY or rnG Mlssls-


The season has so far advanced that .
fairly jus; estimate may be given OF lie
peculisrities, its success and lts failures.
The locality from which I write Il In the
immediate valley Of the great Mississippi
River. The syersge width Of the valley
here Il seven miles, the Dcs Moines Riv-
er forming the boundary line on the
north between lows and our state. The
o,crfio Ing of the two rivers Ia former
year. gav. to this beautiful valley all the
necessary elements ~ rich soil, unriv-
aied by the valley of the Euphrates, or
the historic Nile itself.
our chief agricultural productions are
corn, wheat, oats and grass In limited
degree. Adding Ia these the cucumber
and tomato Industries, which have BE-
conc important factors In our agricult-
ure within IN. last fe~ years.
The spring and summer months of The
year will form an introduction Ia the
.ucce..s. and failures of issi. And what
a record Il a., truly. The whole season
nav be termed one of great scarcity OF
raInfsll, and of very high temperatures
The month of June reports q rainfall of
tao Inches; July. onehslf Inch; Au-
gust, one half inch. High temperature
prevailed from June ~ until the last
week In August. The results OF these
negative conditions upon growing crops
are quite evident. Meadows aud pastures
dried up, and large PER cent OF the
corn failed Ia develop properly. The
severity Of the prolonged drouth MAS
strikingly illustrated In the drying up of
IL. IL an IN Na
he dry bsfore. The Mississippi dwindled
In volume So much that navigation for
common and large steamers has been
suspended for three months, the river
during all this time, towering near the
historic Low water mark OF l>Gt. for
days aud days the mercurisl column
reached loo, and even higher. The
desert had come With vengeance. Here
In the valley We will have t~o-thirds of
an average crop ~ corn; on the upland
the crop will Yield less. Potatoes are
q partial failure, and prices are ruling
high.
The bee Industry comes In for large
share of failure. ! have twenty-five
colonie. and fall to get single new
swarm. Reports from other bes~keeper',
whose sggrtksts stoSA sufoons- w WV
DO swarms, show less than . dorsn
swarms for the summer. The Ike WAS
never experienced before. The honey
crop Will be very light, and some aplar-
lists will fall entirely.
Along with the high temperature aud
hot winds came other evils. Chinch bugs
invaded many fields of corn, and did
much damage, aud . ne~ pat To the
cucumber plants arose aud defsd all oP-
po-Ition or remedies. A small green
aphis attacked the vines and destroyed
whole fields. The loss from this Insect
amounted to sSO,OoO or more To the
planter. ~ thl. fertile valley. Yet with
all these partial failures there Will be
many good results. The effect OF the
great heat upon the soil Will no doubt
prove beneficial, and then the shorten
log up la some incomes Will teach many
people wholesome lessons in practical
economies. The loudly proclaimed eur.
plus ~ certain grains viii be balanced
In the scale of supply and demand. and
thus II I. that conditions regulate them
selves In q measure.-Mi.souri cor
Country Gentleman.