The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-04-07
CROP WORK AHEAD.
WINTER HAS BEEN a room TO
FARMERS.
Springlike Weather, Following Mild
Term, Proved to Be Beneficial in AL
most All Loca1ities-Late Cereal Re-
ports from Various Sections,
Excellent in Promise.

Throughout the principal agricultural
| districts the 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 plowing and general farm
work is now we'll advanced, decidedly
| ahead Of recent years.
Oats seeding and corn preparation are
| far in advance of last year, and, in spite
| of the interruption occasioned hy cold
weather and storms during the last week
of March, the general farm preparation
for the seasons work has made unus-
ual progress. Spring wheat seeding be-
gan more than a 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
ly. 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
plowing.
East of the Missouri River winter
wheat was sown last fall under peculiar
ly unfavorable conditions. The long sum-
mer and fall 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 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 probematical promise at best.
From the date of the November rains up
to the present time weather conditions
have been favora bic 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 days 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
ONO 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 the 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 I'D
to the present, and rarely have the wheat
fields of Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebras-
ka offered so fine prospect as at the
rrc.ssess rcess .iu,rr Or the P.c;fc coast. the
Situation in Oregon and Washing::,en 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
tucky improvement dHning 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 i'm
portant States. The winter and spring in
Michigan have been favorable, and the
present condition Of the crop is good.
The prospect in Indiina and Illinois is
improving rapidly. with local exceptions,
largely in the sQuthe.ii part Of scch State,
and the present condition is fully up TO
the average for series Of years. The
vefy 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.