Rock Island Argus., 1902-03-01
CONDITION OF CROPS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE

Springfield. Feb. 2S.-The weather
has been very cold during February.
except for ii few days at the end of
the month. and the ground has been
frozen 10 a considerable depth. The
snow which fell the latter part of
January. however. remained on the
ground during the cold spell. and this
snow covering was Increased from
time to time by light snowfalls dur
ing February. SO that crops were fair
~ well protected from the severe cold
throughout the greater portion of
the state. In some localities the
snow covering was. however. too
light to afford complete protection.
Over large part of the southern dis
trict the covering consisted of Il
sheet of ice. which was formed DIR
ing the sleet storms in that district
and this afforded less protection than
the snow of the central and northern
districts. I'm some localities injury is
reported to have resulted from this
ice covering. There was but little
precipitation during the month. and
all of that which fell previous to the
storm which crossed the state at the
snow. except in the extreme southern
part of the state, where there was
some sIeet and rain. As a conse-
quence stock water became very
scarce. There was a good rain at
the end of the month and this, to-
gether with the melting snow. satu-
rated the surface of the soil very
thoroughly.
1t is somewhat difficult To deter
mine the present condition of wheat.
since il has 50 recently reappeared
from beneath its snow covering. and
this is especially true of those local
tiles i'm which the crop has been pre-
viouSly injured by the drouth. II is
generally believed. however that il
is i'm good condition i'm the northern
and central districts, and that il was
amply protected i'm those districts
from the severe cold. In many local
tiles il iS green and vigorous looking.
In some localities the tops are brown
and dead looking, although the roots
appear to he in good condition. As Il
rule early sown wheat appears to be
in better condition than that which
was s0wn late. The melting snow and
the rain at the end of the. month
have brought about Il favorable con
dition of surface moisture. and it is
believed that the crop i'm the northern
and central districts is more promis-
ing at the end of February than it
was at the end of January. In Tire
southern district conditions are less
favorable than in the central and
northern districts. In some localities
il is believed that there has been !
some Improvement i'm the crop dur !
ing the month. and few correspond |
entS say that il is in fine condition. |
In general. however. the unpromising |
at the end of January con |
tinues at the end of February. The |
ice covering afforded insufficient pro- |
lection and injury from cold weather |
resulted i'm some localities. while in |
some localities the ice drew the plant |
from the soil and thus injured it. y \
few correspondents state that con
wheat ground will he plow-
ed up for other crops. Rye is gener- /
ally in good condition in the north
ern and central districts. but in the |
southern district it is not so favor
able.
Reports as to the condition of /
meadows and pastures vary consider
ably. In some localities they are re-
ported to be looking fine. while in
others there has been considerable
damage from cold weather and
ilrouth. AS rule old meadows have
passed through the winter more sat
than those newly seeded.
Nery"unfavorable reports regarding
the peach prospects have been re-
reived from the central and. southern
districts. With few exceptions cor
respondents say that buds have been
killed. In tho northern district pros
poets are more favorable. 1t is gen
orally believed that other fruits have
passed through the cold weather
without material injury.
The dry weather of the past month
has been favorable for feeding stock.
and the end of the month finds il in
very satisfactory condition. consid-
ering the scarcity of feed.