Washington telegraph., 1901-05-17
OFFICIAL CROP REPORT.
Wheat Prospects Said to Be Better
Than at Any Similar
Time In Ten Years.
THE WINTER RYE CROP WILL Be HEAVY.
Snrinc Flowing Has Been Seriously
Delayed in Many states, OWING TO
the Lateness of the SensOn-SPrinS
Pastures are Generally in Good
Condition.

Pastures are Generally in Good
Condition.
Washington, May 12.-Returns of
the statistician of the department OF
agriculture, made up to May l, show
the area under winter wheat in cultl-
Sation on that date to have been
about 25,26T 900 acres. This is 2,Ol5,-
900 acres, or 6.7 per cent. less than the
area sown last fall, but 2,O32,O0 acres,
or ~ per cent, in excess of the win
ter-wheat acreage harvested last
wear. OF the reduction, about one
half is reported from Texas and Call
fornia, due in the former state to the
ravages Of the wheat plant louise and
In the latter to the cutting, as is not
unusual in that state, of considera-
Bile acreage for forage.
Abandoned or Cut for Forage
In states that had 100000 acres or
upward sown last fall, the following
percentages are reported as aOan-
doued or cut for forage: Missouri, l;
Kansas, I; Illinois. 10; Pennsylvania,
2; Indiana, 2.5; Ohio, 3.2; Tennessee,
~: Michigeu, 0.6; Oklahoma, 12.5;
California, 1S, and Texas, 424
For the area remaining under eul-
tiyation the average condition ON May
/ was 94.1. While this average is 1O.5
points above the mean of the May
averages OF the last ten years, and
has been exceeded only three times in
II years, it 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 at the high average, 105, re-
ported April 1, while an improvement
is reported of five points in Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio and Indiana, s in Illinois
and in Missouri.
On the other hand, notwithstand
ing the elimination in Texas and Cali
fornia of so much of the acreage as
will not be harvested, decline is not
cd amounting to 4 points in the form
er state and II points in the latter.
Phenomenal Rye Crop Promised.
rye ON May 1 was 94.6, as compared
with o3.1 on April 1, 1901; 8s.5 on May
l, 1900; S5.2 at the corresponding date
An 1898, and S9.2, the mean of the May
averages of the last ten years.
The present condition is the high
est since 1891. Pennsylvania and New
York, with two-fifths of the total win
for Of ba
report a condition of "a, which corre-
spends with the ten-year average in
New York, but is points above such
average III Pennsylvania.
Meadows and Pastures.
The average condition of meadow
moving lands on May 1 was 92.S,
against 9O,s on May 1, 1900, $40 at the
corresponding date in 1899 and GIL,
the mean of the May averages of the
last ten years.
The average condition of spring
pastures on May l was 91.5, against
p1.3 on May l, 1900; s35 at the corre-
spending date in 1899 and 90.s, the
mean of the May average of the last
ten years.
Spring Flowing Delayed.
OF the total amount of spring plow-
ing reported as contemplated, it is es-
timated that only Co.'S per cent. was
actually done up to May 1, the pro-
portion usually done by that date be-
ing about Is per cent. of the whole
Only three times in the last IS years
has the percentage done by May
been as low as it is this year.
OF the states having 100000 acres
or upward to be plowed this spring,
only North Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Ar
kansas report the proportion actual
ly done up to May as in excess of
their respective ten-year averages.
The lateress of the season is especial
ly marked in New York, Pennsylva-
mia, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas
and Nebraska.
A report giving the estimated acre
age planted in cotton, with the condi-
tion according to the latest advices,
will be issued on May 81.
FIRE AT WILMINGTON, N. C.