The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-04-28
WHEAT ALL RIGHT,
Good Growth and Development Over
About the Whole Area.

Good Growth and DEVELOPMENT Over
About the Whole Area.
The past week was marked by tempera-
:ures but slightly differing from the nor
nal, at the beginning of the period rather
below and later rather above. Rainfall
was received quite generally throughout
he Ohio valley, but not enough to incon-
'enience farming operations. No radical
change marks the wheat situation except
IN California, where every day without
ample rainfall in the San Joaquin valley
appreciably diminishes the cro" possibili-
lies of the State.
East of the Rocky Mountains the actual
changes IN the situa ton have beeD small.
Wherever there are any reports OF pres
ant accruing damage they represent but
very small areas, and are of little conse-
luence when the field is viewed at large.
\ few low bottoms flooded in the valleys
Of the Ohio tributaries, and an occasional
complaint of lack of moisture in south
arn Kansas and in Texas make up the
sum of complaint. Against this there has
been continued growth and development
over almost the whole area, so that the
wonderful improvement which was noted
during the month Of March has been con-
tinued in less marked degree during
April up to date. Two weeks ago there
was little talk of plowing up some fields
in Ohio, not because of any winter kill
ing but because the crop was unprOfita-
bly, thin on the ground from failure to
terminate. Recent moist, growing wealth
er has practically put q stop to this talk,
and with the exception of small areas,
where there was no termination at all. it
may be said that there will be almost no
blowing up of wheat fields.
Seeding of spring wheat is progressing
rapidly under circumstances almost uni
formly favorable In this respect the
season is remarkably early, and seeding is
now being prosecuted in the more north
ern portion of the belt 1T least month in
advance of last year. Over the whole dis
trict the ground is working well, soft and
friable. and with no rains to interfere
with the work. AS far north as southern
Minnesota and South Dakota the bulk
of the acreage is now in and the area
seeded is limited only by the desires of
growers There are districts in southern
Minnesota and in Iowa which a dozen
years ago were great wheat centers, and
in which since that time the crop has
dwindled down to nothing, where the
acreage seeded this spring will make
wheat the dominant crop this year. The
same thing is largely true in Nebraska,
and these three districts, generally over
looked in wheat calculations in recent
years. are likely to prove large factors in
this years wheat aggregate. Oats seed
ing has continued under generally favor
able conditions, interrupted little in
some parts of the Ohio valley by local ex-
cesses of moisture, but elsewhere with no
special drawbacks.
Spring work in general and corn plant
ing in particular are decidedly in advance
of normal season, and very greatly
ahead of last year. With the exception
of low bottom lands in parts of the Ohio
valley there has been no break in pIow-
ing during the past week. and unless
weather conditions now become radically
the corn crop will be planted
much earlier than usual. Early crop is
up in Texas, and planting is under way
in Oklahoma and southern Kansas.