The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-06-18
Crop Report.
MICHIGAN,
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Lansing, June 8, '97

The average condition of wheat, June I.
was in the southern counties 80, and in the
State rs, as compared with "a and SO ON
May /. One year ago the averages were go
and n. The average condition now in the
central counties Is SO, and In the northern
81, as compared with "a In the central and
81 in the northern, one month ago, and 81
In the central and 95 in the northern one
year ago.
Tie average condition, June l, in the
southern counties for 10 years has been as
follows: 1888, 80; 1889, 81; 1890, 76; 1891,
90; 1892, 81; 1898, II; 1894, 90, 1895, So;
1896, SO, and 1897, SO.
The average condition for the State has
been as follows: 1883, SO, 1889, SO; 1890,
IS; 1890, 10; 1891, SO; 1892, 90; 1898, TO-;
1894, so; 1895. IS; 1896, n, and 1897, rs.
The lowest condition is found in the CEN
trail and eastern counties of the fourth, fifth
and sixth tiers Of counties. The average
condition in some Of these is as follows:
AZ In Tuscola, SO in Saginaw and Saniac,
81 In Bay, So in Gratiot, SO in Lapeer, 90
in Genesee and Isabella, and SO in Midland.
Wheat is late, and has been injured more
than usual by wet weather. Much Of 1t on
low and wet land is badly drowned out. A
considerable area would doutless be plowed
up were 1t not seeded to grass, The plant
Is quite generally reported 'yellow" near
the ground, but correspondents very rarely
note the presence of insects, and many state
that none have appeared.
The number of bushels of wheat reported
marketed in May is &c. 75, as compared
with 537,749 reported marketed in May,
1896; 376, 94S in 1895, and SIS, 747 in 1894
and the amount marketed in the ten months,
August May, is S,975, 304 bushels, as COM
pared with S,319,619 bushels in the same
months last year; 10,047, 4S9 bushels in
1895, and Is, 491, 945 bushels in 1894.
The acreage planted to corn is reported at
90 per cent of acreage in average years,
This estimate Is to be taken as the opinion
of correspondents of the area that will be
planted, for, owing to the continued cold,
wet weather, large percentage had not
been planted June 1. The acreage sOwed
to oats is 81 per cent of acreage in average
years, and the average condition of this
crop is sc
The average condition of meadows and
pastures, and of clover sowed this year is
9S. The weather has been very favorable
for these crops and they perhaps were never
in better condition in June than this year.
Apples promise about twothirds. and
peaches one-fourth of average crops. One
year ago the estimates were 90 per cent for
apples and SO per cent for peaches.
In the southern counties the wages per
month of farm hands average $14.55 with
board, and $2013 without board; in the GEN.
trail counties, $12 9S with board, and $40 95
without board, and in the northern counties
$l3.97 with board, and $22.43 without
board. The averages for the State are
$14.16 with board, and $50 Al without
board. Wages now are lower than one
year ago in each section of the State, and
one year ago they were lower in each Sec
tod of the State than in 1895.
The farm statistics of about 900 town
ships, collected and returned by supervis-
ors, indicate that the number of sheep now
on hand In the State is nearly per cent
less than sheared in 1896. There is a loss
of per cent in the southern counties, and
of 6 per cent in the central counties.
One year ago there was, compared with
1895, an average loss in the State of 80 per
cent; in the southern counties of 30 per
cent, and in the central counties of 90 per
cent. 1t is probable the complete returns
will show less than 100000 sheep six
months old and over in the State this spring.
WASHINGTON GARDNER,
Secretary of State.