The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-05-20
CROPS OF. THE COUNTRY.
The May Returns Of the Department
of Agriculture.
PROGRESS OF COTTON PLANTING
Percentage Of Contemplated Acreage
Thus Far Planted Above the Aver
age for the Past Seven Years.

The May returns of the Department
of Agriculture, at Washington, show o;
decline from the April condition OF 1.2
points-S02 2 against 81. 4 lastmonth ana
s2.7 May 1st, 1895.
The averages OF the winter wheat
States are: Ohio, 80; Michigan, 81;
Indiana, 81; Illinois, 81; Missouri, "a,
Kansas, 7s; California, 97: Pennsyi-
vania, 96. The averages in the,
Southern States are higher. rang
ing from IS in Mississippi TO
90 in Texas, and in the minor
States, New Jersey, Delaware, Mary
land and Virginia, from SO in New Jer-,
sey to 102 in Maryland. As reported In
April, the worst injuries from freezing
and deficient snow are in Illinois,
though the bordering States, Indiana,
Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri, report
severe winter injury, and States border
ing these, Ohio, Michigan, Nebraska
and Kansas, show reduced condition
figures. Over the country elsewhere
the condition is unusually good, being
practically normal east of the Allegheny
mountains and quite high also on the
Pacific slope.
The average condition of spring pas
ture is 934, against 93.2 o year ago;
and that Of meadows 93.4 against 91.8
in 1895, the wet spring having been
favorable particularly in the regions OF
deficient rainfall.
The per centage Of spring plowing
finished May 1 is 61.9, the usual PERI
centage being 7s, only the extreme
Northern and Southern States showing
the customary proportion. Everywhere
else delay resulted from the late season
and heavy rains.
Reports from Europe are generally
favorable as to the condition Of crops,
but in France there is reduced area OF
winter wheat and the crop is expected
to fall short of last years at least 16,
900, 600 bushels. In parts Of Prussia
the spring showings have been retarded
by rain. The Viceroy If India teie-s
graphs that there will be no wheat for
export from that country this year.
The cotton report for the month OF
May, as consolidated by the statistician
of the Department of Agriculture, re-
lates to the progress of cotton planting
and the contemplated acreage. The ex-
tent of the proposed breadth already
planted on the first day of May was
B1.9 against $40. per cent. last year.
This figure is several points below the
amount usually planted at this date. Z
The estimates for the several States are
as follows: Virginia 81, Florida 80, Ala
bama IS, North Carolina "a, South Car.
olina 80, Georgia 80, Mississippi so,
Louisiana SO, Texas SO, Arkansas 70, Z
Tennessee So, Missouri 45.
The returns of correspondents in re-
lation to contemplated acreage as CONS
pared with the acreage last year, which
are simply Indicative of correspondence
views as to intentions Of planters In re--
spect of area to be planted, are sum-
married. as follows: General average,
1854 per cent. of last years breadth,
apportioned to State as follows: North
Carolina 10S, South Carolina 10S,
Georgia 10S, Florida 101, Alabama 104,
Mississippi 102, Louisiana 102, Texas.
100, Arkansas 104, Tennessee 105. In
the northern part of the cotton belt
planting has been greatly retarded by
the late season and heavy rains. This,
is less the case toward the Gulf, whiled
in Texas planting is further aiyancedf
this year than usual.