Evening journal., 1900-04-18
MORE SUNSHINE is NEEDED
THIS WEATHER UNFAVORABLE
TO PLANT GROWTH
GARDEN SEEDS HAVE BEEN
PLANTED IN MANY LOCALITIES,
BUT THE GROUND is TOO COLD
FOR GROWTH.

FOR GROWTH
For the week just ended the Climate
and Crop Service for Delaware and
Maryland report cold and cloudy
weather The temperatures have been
continuously below the normal, except
for the seasonable warmth that was
felt on Sunday, the 18th. There We're
brief periods of bright sunshine in the
fore and after parts of the week, but
overcast skies were the rule. Precipi
tatiOn occurred in the various districts
on the 18th to the 18th, falling as rain
over the southern and eastern counties,
being accompanied by hail and thunder
in places and as snow in the northern
and western counties. Ice formed on
the morning of the 10th as far south
as Prince George county.
Progress in farming operations was
everywhere general until the rains, to-
ward the middle of the week. This wet
spell entirely interrupted plowing in
some places, but in others the moisture
put the soil in perfect order, so that
the week. as a whole, may be classed as
a favorable one for agricultural pur
suits The season continues backward
however and the cold nights have
been especially unfavorable to plant
growth and to the termination Of seed
in the ground. Warmer days, with an
Increase of bright sunshine, is needed
for all crops.
Outside of a few localities in the
northern-central counties, the past
week has been a marked improvement
in the condition of wheat and rye, Ow-
ing principally to the good rains, which
started a fresh growth in the fields.
Both crops are reported more flourish
ing on fallow than on corn lands, some
of the latter fields being rather poor
and thinly set. Grass has taken bet
ter growth since the wet spell, but did
not withstand Winter killing as well
as the grains. Glover seeding is about
completed. Oat seeding continues in
the northern-central counties, and was
begun during the week in Western
Maryland, while in the southern cOun-
ties the crop is coming above the
ground nicely.
In Washington county, in the neigh
bOrhOod of Chewsville, doubts are en-
tertained as to the outlook for peaches
and other fruit. In every other section
the peach crop is promising and, un-
less later damage is experienced, full
crops are expected from the favored or
chards along the water courses and
shore line. decreasing, probably, to hall
crops farther inland. All fruit buds are
backward in the western and northern
counties, but farther south and on tn,
Eastern Shore the peach trees ar,
blooming. First blooms are also re
ported on apricots, pears and earl!
plums.
Gardens have been made in the low
er counties, and a few garden seed
have been planted farther north, bu
the ground has been too cold for favor
able growth. Early potato planting
has made good progress in all districts
even in the more western counties, ant
some bedded in Southern Delaware
some sweet potatoes are beinl
bedded in Southern Delaware
Peas are up and looking well in tn
southern and eastern counties, and
large acreage will be sown in all of tn
districts devoted to truck growing
Strawberry setting continues in tn
southeastern counties.