The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-09

The evil resultant from the long
continued drought is reaching alarming
proportions.
Farmers, agriculturists and dairy
men are viewing with alarm conditions
which have not been paralleled in 20
years.
The continuance of dry weather,
which began almost with the advent
of May and has been unbroken since,
is unprecedented.
All manner Of crops are suffering.
Seed persisted in the ground and the
entire garden truck product in native
vegetables promises scarcely more
than a fraction of the average.
The hay crop is particularly under
the ban of dry weather. The crop soon
to be cut will scarcely pay for harvest
ing. and a hay famine such as has not
been known for a score of years, is ini-
pending. The almost entire lack of
rain, has resulted in barren fields that
ordinarily at this season of the year
would be nodding with a weight OF
harvest.
II is considered almost certain that
even should showers or even con-
tinued rain come to the relief of CEN
trail Massachusetts, it would now be
too late to be of any saving power for
the crop, except in the lowest Of low
lands. On the uplands the crop VIII
amount to nothing.
Nor is the almost entire destruction
of this years crop the worst feature 81
the effects of the drought 1t is be-
lieved by many who are in position
to Judge, that the hay crop Will De
affected for several years to come, ana
that a. hay famine is impending. The
hot sun has beat upon the parched
fields and scared the uplands until the
roots have been blighted beyond the
hone Of immediate recovery.
In the moving lands, great red Spots
of half an acre or even more have ap-
peared. where the roots Of the grass
are scared as if by fire. The destruc-
ton is not unlike that caused by win
terkfll." Where the grass attained
some growth before the blight Oh
drought struck home, the crop IS al
ready matured-driedi ntoa wiry stunt
ed crop that will in many places scarce
ly pay for the labor of harvesting.
On land where the soil is under the
highest of cultivation conditions are
relatively no better, and the grass that
is nearly ready to be harvested Is
about one-third the usual crop.
Scarcely less important among the
effects of the drought Is the soaring OF
pasture lands. In Worcester county
MANY of the milk men and dairymen
are keeping their herds OF cattle
housed. There is well nigh no feed at
all in the pastures. The finest Of past
urage is suffering with the rocky fields.
Throughout the length and breadth of
Worcester county, pastures in the up
lands are red and scared and beyond
hope of recovery, even should Jupiter
Pluvius unloose all the wet goods IN
which he has sedulously maintained a
strict corner for nearly two months.
Cattle are being fed, and the increased
demand thus created links hands with
the impending scarcity Of fodder in
booming prices skyward with alarming
rapidity.
Willard F. Pond, who had stored In
his barns more than 200 tonso Of hay and
Hungarian grass two months ago,
found the necessity of unloading to
make room for the new crop. Hay at
that time that could not be given
away for So and 81 a ton is now being
daily taken from his lofts at s16 and
SIS a ton. Best baled hay that has sold
for as low as s16 a ton is now bringing
s21. and is still going up. The end is
not in sight. Mr. Pond says that few
days ago he made the long trip from
Worcester to Boston by electric cars,
and during the journey saw not one
field of standing grass that looked
healthy. Not half the entire crop, he
told The Spy man, will pay for cutting
unless prices go considerably higher
than they now are.
The result of the almost total failure
Of the hay crop means a financial loss
TO the farmer beyond all possibility Of
First of all. the necessity
of feeding stock from the mows in the
season when cattle should literally bel
in clover. has caused a general rush tol
dispose Of all kinds Of farm stock. The