Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-04-13
CROP WORK AHEAD.
WINTER HAS BEEN a BOON To
FARMERS.
Springlike Weather, Following a Mild
Term, Proved to BE Beneficial in Al
r:cst All LocaIities-Late Cereal Re-
ports from Various Sections.
Excellent in Promise.

Throughout the principal agricultural
districts lie past winter was remarkable
for its mild character. There was little
severe or long-continued cold, and the
snowfall was light. Following this open
winter, spring-like weather was expert
enced during the greater part of March,
so that spring blowing and general farm
work is new well advanced, decided ]
ahead of recent years,
| Oats seeding and corn preparation are
far in advance of last year, and in spite
Of the interruption oecasioned by cold
weather and storms during the last week
OF March, the general farm preparation
for the seasons work has made unus-
uai progress. Spring wheat seeding be
gan more than month earlier than last
| year, with the soil in excellent working
order, and, while storms of the past ten
days caused an interruption, yet large
| enough area has already been planted to
] mark the season as one remarkably ear
/ ~. Throughout the great central valleys
the soil has worked readily, and until the
last week in March there were few locali-
ties in which wet weather interfered with
| blowing.
| East of the Missouri River winter
wheat was sown last fan under peculi9"-
| ~ unfayorablc conditions. The long sum-
mer and fan drought made blowing diff
cult, and the proper pulverization of the
seed bed almost impossible. Seed was
sown In dust, termination was slow and
uneven, and first growth small and strag-
cling. Rains came early in November,
and a large part of the acreage was seed
| ed after the first of that month, but it
was felt that grain sown at that late date
gave but a problematical promise a. best.
From the date of the November rains UP
| TO the present time weather conditions
have been favorable for the crop. The
winter was mild. and, with abundance of
moisture; the plant continued to develop
through the usual period of Information,
gathering root strength rather than show
Ing top growth.
The month of March was like April
thirty ia. ahead of the calendar. Sun
shine and showers marked the first three
| weeks Of the month, and the effect upon
the brown, stunted wheat fields of the
Ohio Valley was remarkable Brown gave
way to green, bare spots were covered,
fields marked for blowing began to give
promise of possible crop results. The
change of +he month in the wheat fields
between the Allegheny Mountains and
the Missouri River, particularly in this
central belt, was sufficient to mark the
season as one of the most remarkable on
| record.
West of the Missouri River conditions
have favored the crop from seed time up
to the present, and rarely have the wheat
fields Of Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebras-
ka offered so fine n prospect as at the
| present time. On the Pacific coast, the
situation in Oregon and Washington is
all that can be desired. In California
| conditions are variable. In Texas and
Arkansas the winter has been all that
could be desired for the crop, spring
growth has been good, and the general
| condition is high. IN Tennessee and Ken
lucky Improvement during the past thirty
! days has been rapid. In Ohio the pros
pect is much less fiattering. The next re-
port of condition will be decidedly higher
than the last State report, but the Ohio
average will be the lowest among the inn
portaht States. The winter and spring in
Michigan have been favorable, and the
present condition of the crop is good.
| The prospect in Indiana and Illinois Is
| improving rapidly, with local exceptions,
| largely in the southern part Of each State,
and the present condition is fully up to
the average for a seIies of years. The
very low condition heretofore reported
for the general average of Missouri does
not represent the situation in that State,
| Improvement has been rapid, and there
| is now at least an average crop prospect.
! At This date it would be ridiculous to
talk of probable crop results, but it now
seems apparent that the 1897 crop will at
least enter its period of spring growth
with an excellent promise, whatever may
| befall it later in its history.