The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-06-09

A. the date OF this writing Goth May
-, eoftta,t afforded IN the weather, as
,,,,,rfd with that at the time we wrote
article on work for the month for
L AnrI issue is the most strongly
,,rl.cd we have ever known in SO short
,7e. Then nearly the whole of the
coutbern States and many of the Eastern
and Northern ones, were suffering from
an excess of cold rains, which had been
I.nq continued, and there seemed no i'm
MEDIATE prospect of relief. Now, nearly
tho whole of the South and all the East
,,n and Northern States, and many of
the Middle States, are suffering from
drought, which, IN many places, has al
r,adv done serious injury. The rains
,e,sed In the last week in April and since
Nav came in we have had dry, cool wealth
or with decidedly cold nights and COM
pIcte absence of genial growing weather.
Not until the present week have even the
n.d-days been warm. Notwithstanding
th, ungcnIal weather. crop conditions IN
the South are not yet seriously impaired,
hut a continuance of the like conditions
for another week will work serious in
urv Already In several of the Northern
ami New England States damage has been
done which cannot be made good, what
ever the subsequent weather may be.
I'm our April issue we sounded a note of
warming as to the probability of drought
following so long a period of rain, but
did not look for its setting in so soon. IT,
however, what we then said was needed,
hany farmer already has saved himself
from much loss by careful conservation
OF the moisture in the ground. Where
the surface soil has been kept stirred and
loose there Is yet a reserve of moisture IN
the land which will serve to carry the
crops planted through a further period of
dry weather Wherever the surface soil
has been allowed to become compacted and
hard, moisture has been rapidly exhaust
ed and it Will require some days of rain
to fit such lands for planting, and the
probability is that the effect of the pres
cnt drougt Will be seen in the yield of
such crops at harvest.
The condition of the wheat crop of the
country still remains high one, though
1t suffered some impairment up to 1st of
May and no doubt will have been further
injured since that date. On the 1st of
May the average condition throughout the
country was 92.6, against a condition of
915 on 1st of April, 1908, and 76.4 on May
/, 1902, and S2.5 the average of the last
ten years. The conditions in Virginia on
May 1st was ga; in North Carolina, IS,
III South Carolina, IS, and in Maryland 81
These figures show but little impairment
from the April condition, and are very
high ones for this section, being, in most
cases, in excess of the ten year average.
Winter oats are still looking we'll in most
sections, though beginning to suffer from
want 0i ram. Spring oats are seriously i'm
pared and IN many sections will be a
failure. This once more emphasizes what
We have 50 often said. that the spring oat
crop IS not one for the South Grass and
clover crops were looking very we'll up to
week ago, but are now showing the
effects OF the drought, and the yield will,
no doubt, be cut off considerab bly,. Grim
son clover has made a better crop than
usual and some excellent hay has been
made from it, which will help to make
good the deficiency in red clover and
meadow hay.