Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-25
CROPS IN THE STATE.
WNeAL OATS, AND HAY MI BE
SHORT, AND CORN NOT TOO GOOD.
These Are the Predictions of Commits
sacssr whitehead's semi-Annuai Re-
port-A Comparison OF Averages.

tWs~o NOWvofssOu Ot AvcthxUS
The s~emi-annuai report Of the Commits
sioner Of Agriculture. Colonel Thomas
Whitehead. was issued from the Agrieul-
tural Bureau yesterday. II deals with
the conditions Of the crops OF the state
from January / 70 July l. 1894. and pre-
rents In very intelligent form u tnfor-
nation and statistics concerning the crops
as will be read with interest by both
farmers and city folk.
In opening his report. Colonel White
head says: 'fhe past season cannot be
said TO have been. on the whole. favor
able to the agriculture of the State" Con-
corning this. the Weather Bureau said:
"Up 10 the 18th OF March the weather
and tcmperature conditions had been very
favorable for the rapid advancement OF
all preparations for spring sowing. ana
planting. During the week ending March
24th the temperature was abnormaily
high over the entire section, and higher
than ever recorded during March SINCE
the Weather Bureau records began. IN
1870 This had the effect of bringing all
the early fruit into bloom: winter wheat
and clover grew up rankiy. ana new
clover came up. This warm spell was i'm.
mediately followed by a very severe anu
protracted cold snap. with a cold wave,
which extended over the country east OF
the Rocky Mountains, and caused freezing
temperatures and killing frosts as iar
southwark as Central Texas and the Gulf
coast. In this State the early fruits were
generally all killed, and probably the
greater portion of the late apple crop;
largely killed: wheat was injured and
set back. and where II had begun to Joint
was killed; the strawberry bloom was
generally Killed; tobacco plants were
t...~.l - IfIna uhptaf not DrDDpTlv DTO-
tected.'
MUCH TRUCK DESTROYED.
"a good deal OF truck was destroyed,
and replanting was rendered necessary
The truck not killed was retarded con-
TN killing frost of March was fol-
lowed by "a good deal of cold ana uh-
favorable weather In April. ana the crops
that had been injured and retarded Dy
the frosts OF March had little opportunity
To reeuperatc during the month OF April
Hence, us will be seen from the APP
pended tables. the general average ot
crops for this year will be below mat
for 1888. eou-
Apples. peaches. and pears are a fali-
ure throughout the entire state the grnP.
crop is much better and VIII DC " IAN
'"" ACREAGE OF CROPS.
"By reference 10 the tables lwhich are
appended to the report II will be seen
that the acreage OF whea,. yoar
Co. low price of tobacco directly af-
fecied the acreage, and II TINS reuuetapn
Of acreage is found among tnIrr 80 nrS the
not regular and experienced planters, W.
injury will not be serious, as Inc a'c'"sV
crop may be better. ho
'jn addition TO this. the irost u Ia
spring affecting the wheat ana nay, anu
Re Gro.,ght I'm many sections affectihg
the planting OF tobacco and sweet pota-
toes. In reality reduces the acrease' aa
In many sections this mas Den q an
- aAa,rtn "a fn01 AIAIiI u any
'"rhe acreage OF corn, oats, hay, ana
Irish potatoes is about the SAM us "S'
year. ro.o,oes
For cotton. corn. and sweet-pototoe
the acreage is higher than last year. ana
the prospect better for cotton.
PROSPECT OF o
..The crops OF wheat. oats. and hay are
nrdoubtediI, short. The farmers VIII 30
well 10 supplement their forage cropS
with turnips. millet, pease. and iate corn;
With "A wet August the crop OF grass vi
TIdewater will aid I'm this matter;
''The prospect for cora Is DeioW tne
general average of that crop for last year.
but the prospect In Middle nlre'mia - 10
much better than last year that IL nearly
brings UP the falling OFF in the NaIley anu
.ridewater TO the. general average Tor KS;
THE prospect for tobacco Iast ysaa "%s
AZ. this wear the average for the State Is
":.Cotton. with n prospect of 50. is three
points higher than hat for last year
FiTISn 1fDtdltt0 IL W. -.
much better crop than last year, Whiie
sw~ect-potatoes. with a prospect OF ~, Is
Two points below that OF last year, ,h,s
peanuts have a prospect Oh % inns
wear against % for 1895.
".aIrhe cool wet weather Of the early
xprinc retarded and injured the pastures
until the prospect this year is recorded
At a.. against % for the past year.
THE GENERAL AVERAGE.
The general average OF crops Tor the
paar 1874 IL as follows:
Prospect-Wheat, 81; corn. W: oats
&c; hay. 81: cotton, Sc; tobacco. az Irish
POTATOES. ~; swcet-potatoeS. os; peanuts
3: pastures, IS; APPLES. II; peaches, i;
oears. 8; grapes. -. no.
Acreage-Wheat, s.; corn. lO2; oats. ~;
nav. 92 cotton. l02: tobacco, Il; Irish pota-
ioes. 1O2: sweet-potatoes, 81; peanuts. u;
I'm isS the general average was:
Prospect-Wheat. 100; corn. ~; oats. s9'
Hay, IS: cotton, &: tobacco. 20; Irish poia-
Toes, 46: sweet potatoes, 3d., peanuts, ";
pastures. 80: apples. 70; peaches %; pears
n: grapes. SO. on.
NAV. g2: cotton. 70: tobacco. IS; Irish pota-
loes. 100; sweet-potatoes. 81; peanuts. 50;
pastures. ".
CLOSING REMARKS.
The Commissioner closes his interesting
paper with the following explanations anu
Information:
by law for the collection OF accurate S,d-
IIftlfN VI III
order TO aid those interested IN crop sta,
tistics, in understanding our average aru
prospect tables. the following eXplahl-
lion Is made. based on the Census report
~ 1880.
TIDEwATER VIRGINIA.
Twenty counties in this section report
on the production of wheat, twenty-seven
Nport corn, and three tobacco.
Hanover Is the largest wheat-producing
county I'm this section. producing over
iO.9O bushels. Accomac leads In the pro
iuction OF corn, the number OF bushels
produced being given at 5W.OVO.
'Of the three counties producing tobacco
IN this section, Hanover leads. producing
,ver 100000 pounds: followed by caroline
over 10000 and King william, tS.Wo.
MIDDLE VIRGINIA.
Reports nave been received from every
county In Middle Virginia. Loudoun leads
In the production of wheat, producing over
300 bushels. The above county also
leads In corn. producing 100000 bushels.
"Pittsylvania leads this section In the
production of tobacco, producing over
10000 pounds, followed by haiifaX:
10000: Campbell. with about 100000;
Amherst. Charlotte. Franklin. Henry. and
Mecklenburg. with over 100000; Nelson.
Prince Edward, and Albemarle. with over
loUO.0o. and Amelia. A~ppoinattox. Bruins
wick. Cumberland. Dinwiddie, Louisa,
t~nnenenrg ana Notboway, producing
Stafford. with 1000 pounds.
GREAT VALLEY.
TN this section all but two counties
report wheat and corn. Only four report
>n tobacco. Augusta leads in the produc-
ton OF wheat. raising over 5000 900 bushels.
md also corn, producing over 10000
bushels. followed very closely by Rocking
nam.
"Out Of the four counties producing
tobacco In this section. Washington leads.
producing over 1905 pounds; Wise closes
With 500 pounds"
AS reported In yesterdays Dispatch. the
recent rains will materially benefit the late
corn. potatoes. grasses, &C, over the en-
tire State.