Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-09
KEEP TAB ON CROPS
SECRETARY TRUE PREPARING
SPRING BULLETIN.
TOBACCO SEED TROUBLE
Growers Report Difficulty in Starting
Seed Grown Last Year-Farmers
Make Test Before Planting and
Avoid DeIay-Prospects Seem
Good for arIy Start of Grain.

Letters from every county in the
state are expected this week by John
NJ. True, secretary of the Wisconsin
st ate board of agriculture; the letters
containing data for the spring crop
report. The first bulletin of the con-
ditions Of Wisconsin for the present
year viii be issued Friday or Satur-
day. Others will follow monthly until
late in the fall. The first report will
consider the conditions of the soil in
the various parts of the state. the con-
dition Of fall-sown crops, the probable
acreage and prices of leading crops.
Bad Tobacco Seed
Tobacco growers are experiencing
some difficulty in getting their tobac-
co seed to sprout, especially seed
grown last year. If this complaint
is general it is high time that farmers
were appraised of it that they may act
accordingly. No time should be lost in
testing the seed growers intend to
use in the coming crop, so they may
know when the time for laying the
seed beds arrives that the seed will
surely terminate, else some serious
delays will occur. The failure of new
seed produced last season is doubt
less due to the wet fall and the neg
lect of growers to properly dry their
seed before storing it away. 1t is a
rare thing for tobacco seed to lose it's
vitality but such instances do some
times occur. Reliable dealers in to-
bacco seed usually test their seed
early before Offering it for sale, and
growers are therefore secure in deal
ing with reputable people making a
business of propagating improved
varieties of seed.
The Stoughton tobacco market has
been quite dull of late and but few
purchases have been made. Bundle
deliveries continue and a number of
warehouses will run for a couple of
months yet Sorters are becoming
scarce as many of them are return
ing to the farm, where their assistance
is needed in doing the spring work
which is about to start with rush.
Three or four days Of sunshine will
enable the farmers to begin blowing.
Early Start for Grain.
The grain crop will have all early
stare this year if present weather con-
ditions continue for another week or
10 days Preliminary farm work is be-
ginning. Ten days more will see
activity all through the southern tier
of counties.
This will be an early start COM
pared with the average. At many
points the ground is now too wet for
work while at that time the weather
was remarkably favorable, and at sew
eral important points seeding has
already been done.
Grain men say that it is too early
yet to venture upon predictions as to
crop and acreage.
There is expectation Of an increase
in the oats acreage. Last year the
northwest planted more coarse grains
than ever before, and the turning OF
many Minnesota, South Dakota and
even North Dakota lands from wheat
tocorn rye, oats and barley was a
feature of worldwide interest last
year An early start in seeding is de-
sirable, yet is not without it's dan
gers. The farmer who puts in seed
in March takes chances of having to
do it all over again. Still III a good
year an early start is a great advan-
tage.