Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-05-09
CROPS AND WEATHER
Frost Did Much Damage to Fruits
in Many Counties Last
Week.
GARDEN TRUCK DAMAGED
General Crops Backward Owing to Goo.
Weather and Sheep Men in Many Sec
tions Have Poor Success with Lambs
Owing to Gold and Drouth.

United States Department of Agricul-
ture, Climate and Crop Bulletin Of the
Weather Bureau, New Mexico Sec
ton.
(Santa Fe, N. NJ, May 8, 1897
Another week of dry, cool weather,
with high winds. Light, scattered show
ers occurred in some fortunate sections,
but as a rule the drouth is unbroken,
and plant life depending on rain for
moisture has made slight progress. The
Landing season for northern sheepmen
has begun, but owing to the absence of
rain and the cool nights the prospects
are for hardly more than SO per cent of
the average yield.
By far the worst feature of the week,
however, vas the killing frost of the
morning of the Sd inst, when the, tenn
perature fell below freezing at all sta
tions excepting those of the southern
valleys. At Aztec, San Juan county, the
lowest temperature was Is degrees, IA
degrees below freezing, and at Gila.
Grant county, the minimum reported
was %. In northern orchards, and in
those of the higher attitudes in central
and southern counties, the frost made
| almost a clean sweep of all fruits. A
few-o the later poisoning trees may
have escaped total injury, but the dam
| age is general, and entails tremendous
| loss. In many localities alfalfa also
| sustained injury, and potatoes, tomato
| plants and early garden truck generally
| We're killed.
Wheat, oats, barley, ETC., although un-
injured, are making slow growth; and
as the ranges start so slowly stock Is
showing but little Improvement. Corn
planting generally is finished, excepting
in the most backward regions of the
north, while in the south the first
| growth of alfalfa is ready to cut. Riv-
ers increase slowly, but there is plenty
of water for the bitches.
At this writing showers throughout
northern sections during Monday prom
Use a welcome release from the protract-
| ed drouth.
The following remarks are extracted
from the reports of correspondents:
Aztec-Prof. G. f. Mead: Excepting
the last three days the weather has
been cold and windy. Some sleet on the
I'd, and on the Sd the temperature fell
to Is, killing all fruit in bloom and do
ing great damage to tomatoes, pota-
toes, strawberries, ETC., and injuring al
falfa some. Wheat, oats, barley, ETC.,
doing nicely. Some farmers are plant
ing early corn and fall potatoes. Ranges
improving, and stock in better condi-
ton. Plenty of irrigation water. High
est temperature, 70; lowest, IS; precipi-
tation, .05.
Observation-Disclosures Gabriel: The
heavy frost the morning of the 1st dam
aged grapevines considerably; loss esti-
mated to be a fourth of the crop. On the
Sd the temperature fell to 25, which de-
stroyed all the vines, and formed fruit
and young vegetables. Ice a quarter
inch thick in the morning. Close search
revealed scarcely an apple, pear or
peach untouched. Alfalfa also suffered,
and the first cutting will be a low per
cent. All tomato plants were killed, ex-
cept in some gardens that were best
protected, where possibly Is per cent
escaped. 1t is difficult to estimate the
exact loss of fruit, but it is safe to a
that a very small per cent remains.
Cherries and plums turned black imme-
diately. Several vineyard wne plant