The Monticellonian., 1901-05-17
OFFICIAL CROP REPORT.
Wheat Prospects Said to Be Better Than at Any Similar
 Time in Ten Years.
TIE WINTER RYE CROP WILL BE HEAVY.
Spring Flowing Has Been Seriously Delayed in Many States. Owing te the Lateness of the season->prinE Pastures are Generally in Good Condition.

Washington, May 12.-Returns Of the sta5istician of the department of agriculture, made IF to May l. show the area under winter wheat in culti- 1ation on that date to have been about 25.ee7. .o0o acres. This is 2,o15,- GOO acres. or CT per cent. less than the area sown last fall, but 2,o32, GOO acres, or 77 per cent. in excess Of the win l ter-wheat acreage harvested last year. Or the reduction. about one | half is reported from Texas and Cali | fornia. due in the former state to the ravages of the wheat plant louse and in the latter to the cutting, as is not unusual in that state, of considera- ble acreage for forage.
 Abandoned or Cut for Forage.
 In states that had 1.0o0, ,OO0 acres or | upward sown last fall, the following percentages are reported as aban- doned or cut for forage: Missouri, l: Kansas l; Illinois. Is; Pennsylvania, 3; Indiana, 2.5 Ohio. 3.2; Tennessee, 47; Miehieen. e.6; Oklahoma, I2.5; California, Is. and Texas, +24. For the area remaining under crl1- tivation the average condition on May l was s4.1. While this average is 1U.5 points above the mean of the May averages oi the last ten years, and has been exceeded only three times in r wears il must be remembered that the acreage plowed up, cut for forage or otherwise abandoned has been en- tirely eliminated.
 Kansas Crop Improving.
 In Kansas the wheat crop has held its own a. the high average, 1o5, re- ported April !. while an improvement IS reported Of five points in Pennsyl- vania, Ohio and Indiana, $ in Illinois and in Missouri.
 On the other hand. notwithstand- l ing the elimination in Texas and Cali fornia of so much of the acreage as will not be harvested. decline is not cy3 amounting to points in the form CT state and i4 points n he later. Phenomenal Rye Crop Promised.
 The average condition of winter rye on May was e4-t. as compared with a3.l on April !, 1e8I; SS.5 on May l, 1900: s5.2 at the corresponding date In 1sss. and ss.2. the mean of the May averages Of the last ten years. The present condition is the high est since 1891. Pennsylvania and New ! ork. with two-flfths of The total win ter rye acreage of the country. each report 8 condition Of q, which core spends with the teu=xear average in New 4ofh, but is points above such average iu PeaasvlvaHia
 Meadows and PastureS
 The average condition of meadow moving lands on May ! was g2.s. agaiHst sos on May !. 19a0. s4.s at the spending date in 1899 and giI. the mean oi the May averages Of the last len years.
 The average condition of spring l pastures on May ] was 91.5. against i e1.3 on May l. 1900; ss.5 at the core | spending date n 1899 and ae.>. the mean ef the May average of the last ten years,
 spring Flowing Delayed.
 Of the total amount of spring plow- Ing reported as contemplated. t Is es- i timateo that only t6.5 per cent. was actual uoHe up 10 May l, the pro- i portion usually done by that date be- ing aaout - Der cent. Of the whole. Only three times in the last I5 years has fhe percentage done by May l been a low as t is this year.
 Ot the states having 100000 acres or upward to be plo8ea this spring, onlv North Carolina, Georgia. Ala 1 baua. T ssissirpi. Louisiana and Ar Eansas= report the proportion actual i ly done up 10 May as- in excess of their respective ten-year averages. 11e later ess Of the season is especial ly marked in New York. PenasyIya- nia. Indiana. Minnesota, Iowa. Kansas and Nebraska
 \ report giving the estimated acre age planted in cotton, with the eondi- tion according 10 the latest adYices, VII be issued on May 3i
 FIRE AT WILMINGTON, N. C.