The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-22
WEEKLY CROP BULLETIN.

The Weather and Crop Conditions for
 the Week Ending September 19, 1898.
 Boston, Mass, Sept. 20.--The weather for the past week has been seasonal and almost ideal. The early part of the week was very cool in all sections, and frosts occurred in parts of all the states. The closing days were much warmer. The abundant sunshine with the warm hours of midday served to ripen vegetables and crops generally. and to color fruits. The cool nights checked vegetable growth and aided in maturing products. Owing to the small amount of foul weather, rapid progress was made in all farm operations, con | sisting generally of harvesting, potato digging and fall blowing and seeding. Rain is greatly needed in Main, where l pastures have in many sections failed. Water is also needed for stock where | streams are low The soil continues too | dry for blowing or seeding. The dry | weather is also being felt in many sec | tions of New Hampshire and Vermont. | In parts of Rhode Island and Connecti- l cut the surface of the ground is becom- l ing quite dry, and roads are very dusty; 1 moderate rain would be of much bene- 1 fit.
 l Temperature-The temperature for ! the week averaged from to degrees | lower than for the preceding week at | the several stations of the weather bu- reau, It fell to freezing at numerous points in Maine and northern sections of Vermont and New Hampshire, and slightly below in several localities of | the former. The lowest reported was | 2S degrees at Washburn. Me. The average temperatures for the l week at Weather bureau stations in the | district are as follows: Passport, 5S; | Portland, 60 Northfield, Vt. 54; Boston, 1 66; Nantucket, GA; Albany, 66; New York city, 6S
 Rainfall-The rainfall of the week | has been in the form of light showers and the totals are small at all stations l Rain is now much needed in Maine, and would be very welcome in about all ,sec- ! tions of the remaining district.
 The totals at the weather bureau sta tions for the week are in inches, as fol- | lows: Passport, G.05 Portland Clio; 1 Northfeld, Vt, 0.40; Boston, G.05; Nan | tucket, 0.05; Albany, 0.20; New York city, 0.05.
 CONDITION OF CROPS.
 The fair weather of the past week l has been favorable to farm pursuits of all kinds. Farmers have pushed hay { ing and harvesting to completion, and | have also secured other crops that have matured.
 While heavy and killing frosts oc- ! cured in many northern sections on 1 the 18th and 13th there are no reports I of great loss. In few localities in Maine late corn suffered, also late veg etables; the damage seems to have l been principally on low lands. The frosts were sufficiently severe in parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island to l damage cranberries in unflooded bogs.
 Excepting in Maine, fall farming is now in excellent condition; blowing and seeding are well advanced to comple- ton, and fall feed is abundant and ex- cellent. The season is now practically closed, and there are few interests that can suffer from frosts.
 1 Grain-Corn is now mostly secured in good condition; the crop is generally large Much sweet corn was canned
 the work being finished week or ten 1 days earlier than usual. Buckwheat is about completed and the crop is large. l The conditions favored fall seeding, which, Maine excepted, is nearing com pletion. Warm rains would be of much benefit to the seed sown.
 Grass-During the fair weather fod- der and rowen have been secured and silos filled. The bountiful crops have i filled barns to overflowing; winter feed will be abundant. Except where i drought prevails, meadows and pas lures continue green, and fall feed is plentiful.
 Fruit-Apples in most sections are ri- pening fast and are ready for picking l The crop is light, but the fruit is gene rally large and well colored. Grapes are slow in ripening and in many cases | will not mature. This crop as a rule is not satisfactory. Cranberry picking has progressed slowly. The berries suf- | fered some from frosts during the week where the bogs were not flooded. A fair crop is expected.
 egetables-Reports indicate that ', these are in very satisfactory condi- tion. Potato digging ig at it's height. 1 There is still considerable complaint of rot, though damage from this source is decreasing, except perhaps in isolated cases. The dry weather has improved garden vegetables, and these are gene rally maturing in excellent condition. In localities where heavy frosts have occurred, vines, tomatoes and the more tender vegetables were killed l Tobacco-The weather has been fla vorable to this crop. It is generally housed and is maturing in satisfacto- | " condition.
 The next bulletin, the week ending September 18th, will be the last issue of the season. Correspondents will please therefore make their reports complete | as possible.