Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-01
VEGETATION AIDED
BY RECENT SHOWS

The Illinois crop bulletin for Jan
uary says:
The weather was very dry through
out Illinois during the first twenty
days of January, and during the most
of that period the ground was en-
tircly devoid of snow covering. The
weather was. however, generally
moderately warm for the season and
il is believed that the injury To vege-
tatiOn due TO freezing and thawing
was generally not very extensive.
The dry weather appears to have
caused more serious damage than the
cold. On the Goth and 21st II storm
crossed the central valleys. which
caused quite a heavy snowfall over
the greater portion of the state. In
some parts of the southern district
the precipitation was in the form of
rain. This snow and rain caused a
decided improvement in the agricul-
tural situation. and the prospects
were still further improved by later
snow and rain. The end of the month
finds II fair To good snow covering
over almost the entire state. The
greater part of this lay ON the
ground during the severe cold of the
latter part of the month and served
to protect wheat and grasses from
freezing as well as TO furnish much
needed moisture. The dry weather
of the first twenty DAYS was favor
able for winter farming operations
and considerable blowing was done in
many localities. II was also favor
able for wintering stock, greatly re-
ducing the quantity of feed required.
Stock is now generally reported 90
be i'm favorable condition. thoHgh
there has continued to be some loss
due to disease induced, cit is believed,
by eating corn stalks. There was
difficulty in securing
sufficient stock water early in the
month. but this difficulty has now
been largely overcome.
AS a rule wheat is in fair condi-
tion throughout the northern dis
trict. The same may he said of rye,
ing well i'm most localities where it
is grown. In the central district
wheat is i'm much less favorable con-
dition. In some parts of this dis
trict, notably in Scott. Jasper. Coles
and Clark counties, it is reported to
he i'm very bad condition. This UNI
situation is not. however.
for i'm some localities the
crop is reported to have fine pros
poets. The dry weather, of the first
20 days of the month has been the
largest factor in working injury, but
there has been some damage by
freezing. The moisture from the re
cent SHOWS has improved the pros
poets considerably. In some local
tiles the tops of plants were killed
but the roots appear To he uninjured.
and where this is the case decided
has resulted from the
snowfall. In the southern district
the condition of wheat is much less
favorable than i'm the central dis
rict. Though i'm some localities the
crop is i'm fine condition most re-
Dorters say that the prospects are
rery poor. This condition *. in part.
lue to the intensely cold weather
which occurred in December. but
additional injury was
,aused by the dry weather of the
'orepart of January and this injury
during the cold weather
# the latter part of January i'm those
localities in which the crop was but
lily protected by snow. In many
ow places ice frozc upon the surface
If the grouud and drew the plant
rom the soil. In general it may he
-aid that the average condition of
he crop throughout the state is
much less favorable than at the end
IF December. At the present time
here appears to he but little apprc-
tension of damage by hessian fly.
The dry weather of the early part
IF the month appears tn have caused
omc injury to pastures and inca
lows. In the southern district the
injury appears tn have been much
rreatcr than i'm the northern and
.cntral districts. The snow of the
after part of the month has. how
.vcr. greatly improved the situation
10Th by furnishing protection from
evcre cold and by supplying much
lecded moisture. Both pastures and
more moisture.
Ii is generally believed that serious
II Jury was done to the peach crop !
" the severe cold wave of Deem |
,er. Many correspondents report
hat all buds were killed in their |
ocalities. No serious damage tn |
'ther fruits appears to have resulted |
rom that cold wave, and the cold |
wave of the latter part of January |
ppears to have been equally harm
ess.
Tax Notice.