Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-11-26

up ITOm IepieS HoColNou AtOh AAV
correspondents from 81 counties.
More than the usual number Of coun-
ties failed to report this month and
the report, for this reason, cannot
claim to be as full as for former
months.
WHEAT.
The acreage seeded to wheat up to
November LIST, as compared to acre.
age of 1896, is 80 per cent. Remarks
Of correspondents indicate that the
present acreage will be increased
SD uld the season permit of Fall
blowing during November. Figures
ON the numbers of acres are for this
reason withheld until next month.
The condition of the crop as COM
pared with average years is 81. On
November lst, 1896, the condition was
So 1t is estimated that l6 per cent.
OF tue crop will have 10 be resown.
Rain fell throughout the State on the
night of October 3lst and there is yet
time to resow should it be necessary,
Only a small portion of the crop is
above ground and in some cases it is
coming up in spots here and there
through the fields.
No complaint is made OF damage
from insects save in Christian coun-
ty, where two correspondents report
worms doing great damage.
HOGS.
The condition of hogs being fat
tened for market compared With aver
age years is 81. The dry weather has
been very unfavorable for feeding
and the best results have not been SO.
cured. Cholera ia not prevailing 10
any great extent. 35 correspondents
report cholera while 80 correspondents
report none.
CATTLE.
The condition of cattle is So Pas
lures failed in some sections as early
as September lst, and since that time
the condition has steadily fallen off.
Feeding has been necessary during
the entire month and many farmers
have put their herds on the market
for what they would bring rather than
contend with the many difficulties in
the way of supply Of water and the
long feeding season intervening be-
tween now and Spring grazing. The
supply of cattle is for this reason
very low
HORSES AND MULES.
The condition of horues averages
81 The price Of young horses and
mules has been greatly affected by
the increased cost of carrying through
the winter and the demand that had
sprung up for this class of stock as
well as the improvement in price has
disappeared -,
SHEEP.
Sheep show condition of 80 and
haYe withstood the trying conditions
probably better than any class of
stock.
THE DRoUTH.
The drouth which ended with the
rain on the night of October 3lst was,
in extent of duration, one of the Sc
verest on record. lis effects on crops,
however, was mitigated by the fact
that it did not set in until crops were
saved or advanced to stage where
serious injury was impossible.
The western section OF the State
was the first to feel its effects, or to
be more exact, a section short dis
lance west of the central portion of
the State comprising a strip extend
ing from DavIess and Hancock coun-
ties south to the Tennessee line.
Here the drouth set in as early as
June 10th, and the damage to the
corn crop alone is enormous; but
further west the early corn had
reached stage where fair crop was
assured before the effect of the
drouth was felt. Gradually it ex
tended east until by August 10th the
entire State was in its grasp and from
that date until October 3lst only local
showers of the slightest character oc
Cured. Added 10 this, extreme heat
prevailed to such an extent that
streams and springs that were never
known to fail before dried up and the
water supply had become the most
serious question that ever confronted
the farmers and citizens generally of
Kentucky.
The ground early became too hard
TO pillow and wheat seeding came to a
standstill, except in corn and tobacco
land. Some early sown wheat found
sufficient moisture to enable it to
reach the surface, where it was ex-
posed to the burning sun and drying
winds for period OF from four to six
weeks, with what result cannot be
told until recent rains have time to
show what can be done in the way of
reviving parched vegetation. The
wheat crop has been postponed TO
time when favorable Winter will be
required for an average crop and al
though many instances may be cited
where wheat sown in this State as
late as November 10th has produced
good yields, the outcome Of tle wheat
crop Of 1890 depends to an unusual