The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-04-05
A LATE SPRING.
Snow Everywhere. Ground Frozen Ten
Feet Deep.

The Minneapolis Times says:
The month of March this year has been
one of the coolest, if not the coolest for
a corresponding period in the history OF
the weather bureau in the northwest Not
only has it been extremely cold for
March, but more snow has fallen, and
other climatic conditions have been less
favorable than usual To add to the dis
comfort of frosty air and uncertain trav-
cling, there has been a disagreeable wind
blowing nearly every day, and altogether
the weather for the month has not been
food for pleasant reflection.
During March, 1893, the weather was
sufficiently warm to permit land south
of McOrEead being cultivated during the
week OI tiIc l4l... Freezing temperature
during the night of the week of the 2Ist
retarded the work thus early begun, and
the snow storm of March ~ still further
prevented farm work being done to any
extent This storm extended over the
southern half Of the state, falling on al
most unfrozen soil and was absorbed as
fast as it melted The snow did not,
however, have the effect of retarding the
preparation and seeding for the spring.
The lowest temperature recorded for
March year ago was II above zero on
the 23d, and on the 9Th the thermometer
rose to 81 above, nearly as high as the
temperature ever reached in March in
this state. For the corresponding period
this year the mercury dropped to IL be-
low on the 9th, and only three days after
wards, on the 9th, the thermometer
reached its highest point for the month,
recording 81 above.
In contrast to the small amount of
snow that fell during March, 1893, which
did not exceed five inches. on the 27th
and 18th. the snowfall for March this year
has been the largest ever known for a
similar period throughout this section OF
the country For twenty-four hours, be-
ginning at o'clock on the evening of the
nth, twelve inches of the beautiful fell,
and at 100 on the night of the 18th a
total Of eighteen inches of snow had fall
en- since the storm begun
Snow now covers the whole state, the
greatest depth being from eight to TWEEN
ty-four inches in an area extending from
the southwest corner northwestward In
the northern part Of the state, and par
ticularly in the Red River valley, there is
less snow on the ground than here and
the fields there seem to be bare since the
thaw which occurred on the 10th inst.
Ground in some parts of the state is
frozen to depth of from five to ten feet
Regardless OF the usual depth of the froz-
en- ground. Observer Outram states that
nearly all the spring wheat land will be in
good condition for seeding as soon as the
surface is sufficiently dry to work, other
conditions being favorable. Most of the
spring wheat land was plowed last fall,
and this will enable farmers to seed it at
the earliest practicable time. The small
acreage of winter wheat in Minnesota was
we'll covered with snow all winter and
there is no danger Of the crop suffering
on that score.
The fearful cold of last winter has killed
off a large part of the winter wheat in
the states South of us, and the price of
the cereal is rising rapidly in conse-
quence.
In this state we are likely to have a
late spring. The winds keep in the north.
and the suns rays do not seem to have
much strength /. D.