The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-28
UP TO THE AVERAGE.
Weather During Past Winter Was
Favorable to Grain.

Boston, April 2S.--The following bull
letin is issued by the New England Sec
tion of the climate and crop service of
the weather bureau. United States de-
partment Of agriculture. J. Warren
Smith. director:
The heavy rain Of Oct. 12-14 In southern
New England, with the warm weather
following In November, gave grass and
winter grain a good start. and the win
ter closed with these crops In better con-
dition than usual
The warm weather of the last part OF
December left the ground very open, and
the small shrubs and fruit trees In q ten
der condition. so that the extreme cold
OF Jan. to did considerable damage.
In eastern Massachusetts, peaches es-
pecially were badly injured. In Connec-
ticut the greatest damage to peaches
was in the cold wave Of Feb. IL and 1S.
The snow held off much later than
usual, especially In the north. and the
frequent freezing and thawing has In
jured some clover fields.
March was very rough and stormy.
with an excessive precipitation and de-
ficient temperature
The first part OF April was cool. and
the season backward. but the last half
has been unusually warm and spring
like, and all vegetation has come forward
with rush. The maple sugar season
was short but excellent the third week
of the month being reported one Of the
best for the run Of sap on record. A
sharp thunderstorm did considerable
damage on April II in Windsor county,
Vermont. Following is the bulletin for
the week ending April 27;
Pleasant weather has prevailed In New
England during the past week, with
moderately warm days, but cool nights.
Very little rain has fallen In any section.
In the southern part of the three north
ern states plowing has begun to consid-
erable extent. and some peas and early
potatoes have been put in. In more
northern districts the frost Is not all out
Of the ground, and except on the dry
knolls the ground is too wet and cold for
much work. Mending fences, hauling
dressing and preparing for tree setting
seems to be the order Of the day. Grain
IL starting very fast, and sheep and
young cattle can be sent to pasture soon.
The cool weather has exerted favor
able influence In holding the fruit buds
| in check.
The sbring floods have damaged the
roads, and some fields by washing but
the result has not been without some
| benefits, as some of our correspondents
report that on low meadows there has
been left fine top dressing from the
| food much benefitting them.
| Rain would do much good In all parts
of Massachusetts,, and especially in the
| southeastern part of the state. There
| the top of the ground Is very dry, and the
season Is somewhat backward -Consid-
erable blowing and planting has been
! done on the uplands and In the eastern
! part Of the state, but In the mountains
! west OF the Connecticut valley, and In
| the lowlands of the valleys.it Is generally
| too wet to plow or plant to any extent
| In Middlesex and Essex counties the
| ground Is in good working condition,
and planting is being pushed as fast as
| the cool weather will admit. Early beets,
| Iadishes, etc. are coming up, and some
| cabbages have been set out. Caterpil-
| lars are beginning to come out. One cor
] respondent In western Worcester county
thinks the frosts Of the week have
| worked considerable injury to fruit buds,
| but others do not fear damage In this
| direction, except where an occasional
| tree stands In the most favorable loca-
| tion for rapid growth.
White frosts prevailed on the morn
| ings of the 23d and 25th III Rhode ISL
| and, but there are no reports OF damage
| from them. The weather has been very
| favorable for farm work In the southern
| part of the state. and II Is well under
way Some farmers have all their pota-
toes In others have fields OF oats well
advanced The rains of the 21st and 22d
gave about half an inch Of rain over this
state, and II has given grass a rapid start
In northern Connecticut very little
rain has fallen during the week, but in
southern districts the fall on the 2zd
was from three-fourths of an inch to
one inch. and much good has resulted.
Pastures and fields have a good start.
and In some localities cattle have been
turned out. The winter was generally
unfavorable for wheat and rye, but the
conditions have improved greatly, and
nearly all correspondents report winter
grains to be looking very we'll with little
indications OF this being winter killed.
Cherry and plum trees are in bloom In
the most forward sections, but there is
not generally very full blossom. The
correspondent at Woodbridge reports
that the average date OF apple bloom.
for 20 years, Is about May 12, while the
apple buds are showing red there now.
and will be out in a day or two more
nearly two weeks ahead of the average.
All unite In saying that peach buds are
not showing at all, or at best that there
are very few to be seen. Strawberries
are reported TO be badly winter killed In
Hartford county.
In many sections cat sowing Is gen.
orally completed, and a good many peas
and potatoes have been put In. At Mil
ford. onions and turnips are reported all
set. while there are some carrots, pars-
nips and beets to be set yet. The sea-
son and farm work is fully up to the