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

who reside within a radius OF ten mics
from the town and they all claim
big damage. Hundreds Of dollars nave
been lost.
From present appearances, there Will
be an average reduction OF at least Oh
per cent from last year in the hay
crop ST Charlton. Immediate and pro-
fuse rains might Improve matters, but
continued dryness will reduce the aver
age much below the above estimate.
Many fields that should show a good
crop at this time have practically no
grass upon them, and would not at
this time pay half the expense of now
ing. Corn and other crops have in
many instances failed to come up
satisfactorily. Owing to cOldness and
.dryness of the season, planting was
done late by many, and the exact re-
suits of the drought on these crops are
yet unknown. Much depends upon
favorable weather for the balance Of
the season.
The drought as it exists in Warren
and vicinity, is severe. One reliable
farmer says: We will not have so per
cent of the usual hay crop. If rain
should come in abundance, it might
help the grass. but would only give
medium hay crop. c. H. Walker of this
town rode by gOod-sized neighboring
farm this week, and said he didn't think
the farmer would cut enough hay on the
farm to keep one COW through the win
ter. The past two seasons have been
large grass producers, and last year
the farmers hardly knew what to do
with their surplus crop. Most of them
added new stock This year they say
stock will sell cheap, as farmers can
not pay twenty dollars a ton for hay.
Potatoes and corn are holding their
ri a n1zv fbro,rcrn &c Il
but will not hold out against it much
longer. Corn is very backward and all
grain crops are suffering. Except in a
few cases the water supply of the town
is inefficient, and so the beautiful
lawns of the town are burning up.
In Sturbridge the prolonged drought
has nearly ruined the hay crop. Many
fields seem to be growing less, and a
few farmers have begun to cut what
there is already. All crops have suf-
fered much, and can hardly show any
growth for a month. The month of
May was the driest known by the oldest
inhabitant. The two or three little
showers did not wet down any.
1t is estimated by conservative farm
ers in Clinton that the hay crop in this
and surrounding towns has been da-
mayed by the cintinued drought so
that the yield will be from a third to a
tie'4A 4N9S IMAM TIC az q age II IS LOO
late for any amount Of rain to remedy
the evil. All Finds of garden truck is
oeiated, and some is damaged to a
large extent
Ihe extended dry weather in Rutland
which was broken by a heavy shower
Wednesday afternoon, has retarded the
nay crop about One-half. Some of the
old fields will not even have that
amount. The rain of Wednesday will
~ -,
heavier crop by thickening up the bot
tom, as in many fields the grass had
begun to rlpen off. Some of the farm
ers say that while the crop will be
small they will make up for the short
age in advanced prices. Last
year hay was in some places left in the
fields, it not paying to house it at the
price paid. Those who planted ensilage
and sweet corn early will in some cases
have to replant, as the dry weather
prevented it from growing.
Oxford, in common with every otha-
town in Worcester county, is suffering
from the drought. The haY CrOD will
be less than half of former years, ard
other crops are suffering CORRESPOND
ingly. Corn and potatoes will be eH-
tremely light. Lawns and fields ara
assuming an almost October brown
hue. and small streams are Irving I'm
walton in Paxton for market gardening
purposes. and hundreds of acres for
hav raising. Thousands of dollars are
invested in these hundreds of acres.
and a large percentage of this amount
will be a dead loss. The cause of this
state of affairs is the continued drought
Not in the memory of the oldest citizen
has this state of affairs existed in the
month of Tune. No rain in ADril Nav
or June to sneak of and behold The
results-ruined crops. parttallv or to-
taIIv. The bav cron is reduced 20 ner
cent and if rain in coDious ouentities
docs NOT come within tho newt ter, daI,e
will he reduced 100 ner cent Hav
which has sold as low as s5 and a. ne,,
ton has advanced 90 high as S16 in tba
mast two weeks and is stilI advancine,
The notato cron is snindIine half SIC
and weak george W Van U i,,r,t ST Of
Long island a brother Of NTaI,o, I,o,,
We Of Nau, yo,lS hoe an ayta,ei1 ",
far,,, Of aho,,+ IN acrae day,o+a5 ,,-bc1I
70 market gardening ana +be,,a lii ~
q Lee az fbo,Isa,,de 0f dCiior, ~ ~ ~
,1roJI,o+ of tbfs So, 80 rI ny
- tbfs So 49, lie, ,bo,,+ o. C' ,o,l
5avo+ad ~ +ba se,,,e ,1,Jr,1aea, 80 Iii
10 - Lo.,,- -, IT. LII " -
VI a iiTa Us ~ ,. 'Is III OoWh
uii ~ 1us u.s. are
~ 9lio ~ at9
~ -. o. ~, %,
~ ia IoI 20 loi @Apiii anu May III
M Wv ~ VI q = ~, ~ ,-.,-
ne "a III W W 4iisi III was pIo-
NcIl WIN IN d llIie ! am w euIesudy AFTER
i lloUh' pur 1t caIIle zoo iaes 70 save the
nay GIop lIo IN d iaIst shrlhkage'
III arIl,Ioh 10 t,!e GoIl''iLueu uiy wealn-
81 IN I' usH MAY ioN, H!uISI IahuS are
in anv event V and if the weab 5 e[G T2