Evening journal., 1902-06-12
Many Crops Likely to be
Failures
IaV Crop Generally Is Short and
Truck Patches Suffer FrOE the
Long DrOuth

be as scarce as coal Some Of the
products have been ruined and rain
now would be of little uee to them
The farmers continue to ask high
prices for their goods and claim they
have to do this to make a profit on
their layor in planting and caring for
the crops that were lost.
When asked by an Evening Journal
reporter now the dry spell affected his
arm, Joseph Brown, Of Newark, an
old and experienced farmer, who has
been in the Wilmington markets FOR a
long time said.
"The dry weather is hurting me bad
enough, and my truck patch or fields
will not be OF much account"
Il suppose your hay crop has suf-
fered like all the rest?"
yes. il is a failure and intend to
leave it stand for another week or two
and then take what l can get out Of it.
NV clover is ruined and a rain could
do it no good now"
What are you doing on the farm
now?"
We are not doing much outside of
our regular work. We are working up
the ground in hopes that we may get
a second crop. but it all depends on
the weather"
The truck farm products in the mar
ket to-day looked fresh despite the
long spell of dry weather. They Will
not suffer as much as the grains and
hay because more care can be given tol
the truck farm than to the acres of
corn or grain.
Hay seems to be almost a complete
failure and in speaking Of the matter,
James Little. of Mill Creek hundred,
said;
my hay crop is short and l have
not enough to call a crop. We will
have to feed our hay and put this
crop under and try and see If a sec
ond crop win not do better Corn
looks. we'll and is growing. Wheat is
coming up fast and promises TO yield
a big harvest, but we can't be sure
about II"
The cool nights help the crops in a
small degree and this may be the cause
of them holding out so long, but the
coming warm weather will soon dry
the ground.
"The drought is very detrimental to
tho farmers" said William Glover
GALE Of Ogleton, in market yesterday,
"and indeed nothing is doing any
good The cool nights keep a lit
tle moisture in the ground and it
serves to mOlsten the crops a little. but
the warm sun soon takes it all out
The moisture in the ground now is not
enough to make a production. The lit
tlo rain we have had merely wet the
surface and the sun soon dried it up.
This year the crops are producing
about one-third of what was planted"
Fruit Outlook Satisfactory
The fruit outlook is generally unsat-
isfactory in the western counties of
Maryland, but in the eastern counties
and in Delaware they are none favor
able. In the mountain peach belt some
large growers say that the crop will
be very light, in fact the only favor
able peach reports west Of
the Chesapeake bay are re-
ported from Howard county,
where. in some localities, a good set
has boen secured add fairly large
crop is looked for. In Kent and Dor
chester counties good yields are ex-
pected. but in parts of Southern Della
ware the outlook is not as promising
as Il was ten days ago. Considerable
dropping is reported from all districts
Arples are dropping badly, and will b'
almost a failure in many localities
Plums and pears are both short crops
in prospect. Early cherries are ripen-
ing generally throughout the section
II. hoo
than half a crop in many instances.
Serious Business With jefferson
With Thomas Jefferson agricultur
was a serious business. Regular farm
ing operations, on some 1,1OO acre
were carried on at Tuition and othe
parts of his property, says Countr
life. While President. supplies wer
carried to him from the garden a
Monticello. and he usually loaded tn
returning carts, in the proper seasons
with trees and other plants In tb
trees and shriibbery he took the mos
careful interest. knowing which one
died and giving minutest directions 70
their care even when bearing th
heaviest burdens of public life. "A
carly as 1866 he began to keep a farI
diary. making records of the bloomin
of trees. the sowing of crops, and tn
general procession of the season.
work. When President, he made d'
tailed notes on the produce and prics
in the Washington markets. II
farms appear to have been proftabl
although the hilly character OF IL
land made it expensive to work, al
his farming seems TO have been le
successful than that Of Madison
Montpelier. in Hanover county. to Il
eastward Wheat was the staple GRO
4.n the world knows how, after h
retirement from public life, his SUI
stance was devoured by a constai
stream OF friends and curiosity see
ers. who took advantage Of his hosI
taiity. and the Monticello estate, whi'
should be the property of the matte
passed from the family.
Will Make Exr reriments
r.