The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-04-28
WEEKLY "A SR CROP Bull
III c.I
For the Week Ending Saturday, April IS,
1906.

by the North Carolina State Weather
Service, for the week ending Saturday,
April 18th, 1896, indicate an xtremely
warm, dry week, with an excess of
sunshine. The average mean tt mpere-
ture for the State for this week was rs
degrees, more than 16 degrees per day
above the normal. Temperatures of
IS to SO degrees occurred on Saturday,
breaking all previous records for April.
The prC cipitation was very small, and
drought prevails everywhere. Re
ports, however, are not as discourag
ing as was anticipated d. Farm work
made good progress, and crops are do
ing fairly well. If good showers occur
the coming week everything will be in
excellent condition. Vegetation has
made marvellous growth, and trees
barely showing any green a week ago
are now nearly in full leaf.
EASTERN DISTRICT Only nineteen
out of eighty six correspondents report
beneficial showers on Wednesday,,
which occurred chiefly in the central
east portion of the district. Drought
prevails generally. The weather was
favorable for farm work, except plow
ing and planting stiff lands; some
farmers have suspended seeding on &C
count of dryness. Corn planting is
nearly over, and ie coming up with
good stand. Tobacco plants have grown
rapidly and are nearly large enough to
transplant. Cotton, peanuts and mel
ons are being planted. Potato bugs
have appeared. Truck crops are look
ing we'll, considering the aryness, and
shipments continue. A fair crop of
Strawberries will be shipped and there
will be a good fruit crop.
CENTRAL DISTRICT Only four out
of seventy five corresp ondents report
light showers on the 18th. All vegeta
tion is greatly in need Of rain, but
crops have grown rapidly in spite Of
the dry weather. Planting corn is
further advanced than for some years; :;
upland corn is about all planted, ex
cept in the northern portion of the dis
trict; corn is coming up fairly we'll
The planting Of cotton has been re
tarded by dry weather; In south pOr
tion is nearly completed, and some cot
ton is up. Gardens are doing as well
as could be expected without rain.
Tobacco plants are growing fast and
look thrifty. Wheat has improved,
oats continue poor. Fruit will still be
abundant; apple trees now in full
bloom form a pleasant sight. Chinch
and potato bugs have appeared in small
numbers.
WESTERN DISTRICT. Very light
showers were reported by ten CORE
spondents out of seventy six; most re
ports indicate favorable progress in
growth and farm work, notwithstand
ing exce essive dryness. Ground not yet
broken is getting too hard to plOw.
Corn planting is generally completed
in the south, with much of it up, and
is progressing we'll in the north. Plant
ing cotton goes on uninterruptedly,
though some farmers will not put in
seeds before it rains. Spring oats nearly
ali planted and doing we'll, as are all
small grains, especially in bottom lands,
Gardens still late. Grasses are suffer
ing for rain. Apples, cherries and late
peaches are in bloom, and as further
killing frosts are extremely improbable
an excellent fruit crop may be expected.
Trees are putting out foliage rapidly.
Corn ground should always be plowed
early and left in the furrow few days
to be warmed by the sun and air before
being narrowed down. If. however, 1t
has been plowed too wet, the narrowing
should be done before it has thoroughly
dried. Some farmers put off plowing
their corn ground, thinking to get a
larger growth of grass or clover to turn
under. But the warming of the fur
row is worth more than the small
amount of green manure that can be
grown before a later blowing. Besides,
on any old sod it is very important to
have it begin to rot as early as possible,
This is best secured by early plowlng
and thorough surface cultivation.
When the sod begins to rot it furnishes
considerable warmth to the soil above
it, which is just what the corn plant
wants