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

III. 1lCICE : TEllGIS cure constipation.
the best, at Berlin. The strawberry
crop is doubtless already damaged,
but would be helped by rains coming
soon. 1t is rather early yet to tell the
effect on other crops, but those on
light soils and dry location cannot but
suffer.
The Templeton correspondent writes
that the first rain for many weeks Eea
Wednesday, but in such sparse guam
titles as to be hardly noticeable a half
hour after it ceased falling. The hay
crop is practically ruined; surely not
over half the usual amount will be cut
Other crops are suffering correspond
ingly. and the outlook for local farm
ers is indeed dismal.
In New Braintree there is practically
no grass on old fields, the continued
drought killing it off. In natural now
ing fields, the crop looks better, but is
seriously damaged, and not over a half
crop will be harvested.
Farmers in all parts of the Black
stone valley say it is the worst sum
mer for crops they have experienced
for over 20 years, and unless rain comes
very soon their labor in planting crops
will have gone for naught The hay
| selling for $25 per ton. The native
| strawberries are very few, small and
WoTmy. This year is not an apple
year, and so vegetables and fruits will
| be so high priced that poor people can
not buy them. There has been but one
| slight rain here since the 18th of April.
The roads are covered with two inches
| Of dust, and this is blown around by
| the WING and makes it uncomfortable
| both for AOusekeepers and pedestrians.
The Holden farmers who have been
wishing for rain for the last six weeks
| had their wish fulfilled Wednesday.
| The rain came but it is doubtful if it
arrived in time to save the crops. A
| Spy man talked with several of the
! leading farmers in the suburbs of the
town, and the reply of one is a fair
sample of the opinion Of them all. J.
| D. Richardson, one of the oldest and
most successful farmers in town. said
that the hay crop will be exceedingly
light. 4 great deal of the grass was
killed by the ice during the winter, and
the long drought coming at a time
when the crops needed rain has de
stroyed a large portion of the remain
der The drought has also hurt the
| oats, barley and rye crops. but there is
| reason to believe that they will, in
some measure at least, be helped by
| the shower. The shower was very
| heavy in this part Of the country, and
several washOuts are reported on the
roads.
The hay crop at Southboro will be
very light, not over thTee-q quarters of
| the usual crop. The lawns are as
| brown and parched- as they are later in
| the season most years. The canker
worms have eaten many elm and apple
| trees. The gardens are backward, their
need of rain being so much felt. Deer
| foot Farm Company has already com
| menced haying.
The severe drought of the past weeks
| in Westminster has seriously damaged
| the crops. Farmers are not expecting
/ to harvest more than half the usual
| amount of hay, except in swamp land.
! Garden crops have not come up at all
| in many cases the ground being fairly
| baked, the heavy shower of Wednesday
/ afternoon making a great change in
/ the appearance Of all the country
4 round, but Thursday the ground was
| again as dry as finder.
| The farmers in and about Northbridge
| don't care if it never rains now, as the
| hay crops are completely burned up
| One Of the largest hay raisers in this
! vicinity was in town this morning and
! stated that a few weeks ago he eX-
| pected to have a larger crop this year
than ever before, as the outlook was
| very promising but now all is changed
/ and his crop is almost a total failure
owing to the continued drought He
! has acre upon acre that he Will not
/ NOW at all At the George Gill place
on Northbridga hill the heat has beer
| something terrific and burned up every
| thing in sight. Cherry trees that gave
| promise of a large crop are almost
| burned up and will not yield half g
crop. a hay famine is threatened
| many of the farmers being compelled
to turn their cattle out on the land
| that they should have moved over i
rain does not come soon there is no
telling what the damage will be. David
Hammond. also of NOrthbridge hill
stated this morning that he had one
half acre Of strawberry plants, and
| the berries We're in abundance. but ne
| would sell the whole patch for 30 cents
/ as one side of the berries is all burn;
up and the other side green. His Yege-
tables are also burned up.
The prolonged drouth has been the
cause of much worry to East Brook
field farmers and 70 people in general
| A canvass Of the farms in the vicinity
Of this place by a representative Of The
| Spy has revealed the fact that there
will be one OF the lightest hay crops
! gathered here in many years. In mcst
cases the grass has grown to the height
Of a few inches and then has beer
burned and shrivelled to a yellow hue
/ Fortunately there is quite a supply OF
old hay on hand which will help out Il
| a considerable degree. There seems d
reasonable surety that there will be al
least a fair-sized crop of corn and po-
tatoes as the drought so far has had
but little effect on them. In some
cases, however, the corn which has been
planted for some time has failed to ma
1 terialize. there not having been even
| enough rain to cause il to sprout The
! lawns about town are in d very bad
condition on account Of the lack of rain
! Fle dry season has effected the crops
! of Millbury TO a great extent and the
/ farmers claim that unless there is an
/ abundance of rain in the near future
/ the price Of hay viii reach nearly SIS a
| ton. The pastures are dried up and
barren. Early vegetables are also rU-