Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-05-03

These are busy days with the farm
ers. These hard-handed sons of toll
whose backs are bent mostly for the
good of others and upon whom all
prosperity finally rests, at this season
when the frost is out Of the ground
and the grass and buds are starting
and the sun going higher every day.
deliberately buckle on their agricul-
tural armor and go rageously forth
to battle with the elements and gather
in the spoils Of nature. Be their sack
a plentiful one, is our prayer. Flowing
and planting are everywhere in prog
ress in the country. Considerable
oats is already sown and preparations
for the planting of other crops are be-
ing rapidly pushed. Corn will go into
the ground as soon as the soil is warm
enough to permit Of planting, be it
April or May. Grass and clover seeds
are being generally sown, and in
very short time the condition of the
soil will be such as to allow of plant
ing potatoes and other vegetables To-
bacco plants, in bed, are reported as
doing well, but it will be several weeks
before they can be set in the open
field. The winter wheat crop, that was
believed to have been utterly ruined
by the severe and open winter in many
places, is picking up, and the farmers
are hopeful of crop after all. The
season, though somewhat retarded by
heavy snow and rainfall, has been on
the whole a fairly good one, and the
prospects for bountiful harvest next
fall were seldom better than now.
Crop Reports.
The Wisconsin Climate and Crop
bulletin reports that conditions during
the past week have been very favor
able; the average temperature slightly
above normal no frost and an abund-
ance of moisture. The rainfall during
the early part of the week was gen.
orally heavy and we'll distributed over
the entire state, the total for the north
eastern and west-central counties
amounting to over two inches. Lighter
rains occurred over the extreme north
western counties and along Lake Su-
perior. In the southern and eastern
counties the total for the week ranged
generally from one to two inches. The
rains were very beneficial, and, be-
ing followed by warmer weather, gave
vegetation an excellent start The
soil is generally too wet to cultivate,
hJ1t ic,y roJ1 ~
a few days of dry weather will place
it in excellent condition. With favor
able weather seeding will become gen
eral this week.
The injury to winter wheat does not
appear to be confined to any particu-
lar section or sections, about 70 per
cent. of the crop correspondents, rep
resenting nearly every county in the
state, reporting it killed or badly in
jured; 10 per cent give the condition
as fair, and 20 per cent. as good. The
rains and warm weather have been of
great benefit to winter rye, which has
generally come through the winter in
good condition. Glover has sustained
great injury, and even with favorable
weather will practically be failure.
Timothy has been winter-killed in
some localities, but is generally in
fairly good condition. The rains have
started the pastures nicely, and with
continued warm weather the outlook
for rapid growth is encouraging.
Fruit trees do not appear to have been
injured and are now commencing to
bud. Considerable work was done on
gardens during the latter part of the
week and a few early potatoes planted
Some specimen reports follow:
Hammond:-Heavy rains first part
of the week delayed seeding but soil
is now in good condition.; farmers
pushing work as rapidly as possible;
new seeding looks well.
South Superior, Douglas county
Frost going out slowly and grass
shows tinge of green; fall blowing
can now be narrowed in dry places.
Augusta, Eau Claire county
Ground not frozen in this section dur
ing the winter; winter wheat, rye and
clover came out in fine condition and
doing well.
Stephensville, Outagamie county,
Seeding commenced; winter wheat and
clover winter-killed; very little winter
wheat soWn; weather warm and
pringlike.
Pella, Shawano county:-WinterI |
wheat and clover all winter-killed;
rye looks fair, but little sown; seeding
delayed by rains during early part of !
week
GrantOn, Clark county:-Wheat and |