The herald., 1898-05-25
WEATHER AND CROPS
Conditions Prevailing Throughout
Southern California

ment OF agriculture weekly crop Dulletin
for Southern California:
n. LOS ANGELES. May %, 1898.
The weather, since the late rain, has been
cool and generally cloudy, with an occa
slonal morning fog in the coast sections.
These conditions greatly benefited pasture,
grain and orchards. The rain put the
ground in good condition for bean plant
ing and will materially increase the acre
age and yield of sugar beets, besides bene-
fitting late-sown grain, which in localities
will head out; early-sown grain was past
help. New-mown hay was damaged to
some extent by the rain, but this will be
compensated for by the increased yield
resulting from the rain, giving fresh growth
to fields surviving the protracted drought.
1t is anticipated that there will now be
sufficient feed for the remaining stock.
Alfalfa and root crops are looking well;
all kinds of forage crops are in excellent
condition. Water in irrigation streams has
increased. Some localities report that navel
oranges promise light crop, while later
varieties look well. Deciduous fruits, ex-
cept apricots and walnuts, promise an
abundant crop.
Extracts from correspondents reports by
counties:
San Luis Obispo
The late grain will carry much grain
through for hay and put the ground in
ably be feed enough, due to the rain, to
keep the stock remaining in the county.
Fruit is looking well.
Ventura County
West Saticoy-The general effect of the
rain has been to freshen barley and beets,
and probably make some pasture In the
hills. Trees are looking well. Moor Park
apricots are dropping.
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles City-The week was fair and
cooler than usually occurs at this time of
year. Last weeks rain put the soil in
good condition for bean planting and will
materially increase the sugar beet crop.
Late grain and pasture were freshened;
early grain past help.
Fairmount-The rain was of great benefit
to orchards and some grain which survived
the drought; it will double the hay crop In
this vicinity The rain was followed by a
severe west wind for four days, which alb
sorbed a considerable quantity of moisture
from the SOIL
Verdugo-Alfalfa, corn and root crops are
looking well as result of the rain; no bar
ley hay is being cut; well-cultivated or
chards are looking about as usual.
Artesia-The week was cool and cloudy;
unfavorable for hay-making. besides too
cold for corn and all kinds of crops.
Compton-The fine rain of last week,
amounting to an inch, was followed by cool,
cloudy weather during the past week.
Grain and pasture were greatly improved
by the rain.
Azusa-The weather continued favorable
for farming operations. Light rain fell on
the 18th and 10th. Late hay has made con-
siderable growth since the rain.
Pomona-The May rains have done i'm
mense good and but little harm; the water
supply has been increased and thousands
of acres will be planted to corn and other
forage crops. Late-sown barley and wheat
are thickenng up. All in all, the outlook is
much better than expected some Willie
since. Many farmers will now be able to
keep their horses and cattle, which they
could not have done before the rain.
San Bernardino County
Chino-Last weeks rain will increase the
sugar beet crop 40 to SO per cent, besides
greatly increasing the acreage sown to
beets. Late barley will be benefited, but
early-sown is past help. All forage crops,
such as Egyptian corn, sorghum and al
falfa, are in excellent sondition.
Etiwanda-The rainfall for the storm was
LIS inches. Cut hay was damaged by the
rain, but late hay was benefited. Irrigating
streams have increased in flow. Much good
resulted from the rain. Navel oranges
promise light crop; later varieties look
well.
Orange County
Fullerton-The rain which fell on the 18th
and 18th of the month did much good to
corn and other crops, but 1t came too late
to help barley or wheat. Walnuts are look
ing well and promise large crop. Rain
damaged alfalfa hay lying cut in the fields.
Capistrano-A light rain fell on the 10Th,
amounting to .04 of an inch.
Orange--Last weeks rain does not appear
to have hurt the hay much. Otherwise all
crops were benefited. The water supply
keeps up finely and everyone has an abund-
ance of water. Black and Logan berries
are ripening; loquats all gone. There Is an
extraordinary number of birds this season,
probably driven In from the surrounding
dry country
Santa Ana-Cool, cloudy weather has
prevailed since the rain, which has been
beneficial to pasture, grain and orchards.
Deciduous fruits and walnuts promise an
abundant crop; strawberries are plentiful
and new potatoes are in the market. The
hay crop will be much larger than was
anticipated two weeks ago.
San Diego County
San Diego City-Olives, prunes, peaches
and apples promise well, while apricots are
a failure, except in scattered localities.
Last weeks rain was remarkably heavy
in the mountains and foothills, ranging
from three inches at Cuyamacas to three
tenths. of an inch on the coast. Many
ranchers had given up hope of even maxi
ing hay before the rain; now a yield of
grain is assured from the same fields.
Santee-El Cajon-Last weeks rain
amounted to half an inch In this locality,
and nearly an inch and a quarter In the
mountains. Hay was somewhat damaged,
but the late sown grain was benefited
enough to more than compensate for the
loss from wet weather, The hay crop is
turning out fairly well; a ton to the acre
is not infrequent. The fruit crop is very
promising.
GEORGE E. FRANKLIN,
Local Forecast Official, Weather Bureau.
The State at Large
SAN FRANCISCO, May 24.-The Califor-
mia division of the department of agricul-
ture has issued the following summary for
the week ending May %:
Rain fell In generous amounts over the
northern portion of the state on the 22d
and light showers occurred on other dates
in the northern and extreme southern parts
of the state. From San Francisco north
ward the rainfall was much above the
normal from San Francisco southwark to
the Tehachapi, below the normal. The
week has been unseasonably cold, the av-
erage temperature, with one exception, be-
ing from three to nine degrees-below the
normal. The cold weather and rain In
terrupted haying and some damage was
done to cut hay, but the benefit to wheat, |
4 =.