The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-18
A FAVORABLE WEEK
But too Cool for Very
Rapid Growth
Much Larger Acreage Than Usual
Under Cultivation. Cotton Nearly
All Planted and Some Fair to
Good Stands Renorted.
Good Stands Reported.

The Weekly Crop Bulletin of the
United States climate and crop service
for the week ending Monday, May
18th, says:
The low temperatures which con-
tinued to prevail this week are prov
ing the chief unfavorable features of
the present season. The mean tenn
perature for the week averaged for
the State at large about "a degrees
which is degrees below the normal;
the weather was so generally clear
that radiation at night was favored,
and the nights were much too cool for
cotton or corn, though the tempera-
ture. during the day time was more
favorable; light frosts occurred in the
mountain region on several mornings
between the 10th and 18th with but
little injury to crops. At the begin
ming of the week there were showers
nearly everywhere, which were heavy
in a few western counties and accom-
panied by hail.; light rains occurred
also the evening of the 14th. The
rainfall was very beneficial but insult
ficient in amount, as the clear, windy
weather dried out the soil rapidly.
The entire week was favorable for
farm work, which is we'll up every
where it appears that a much larger
acreage than usual is under cultiVa-
ton, and probably most of the excess
is in cotton.
The weather has been too cool for
crops to grow very rapidly. Cotton
has all been planted except in a few
places, but the crop is coming up very
slowly; that which is up has not "A
vigorous appearance, as the plants
have been checked in growth by cool
nights. Chopping cotton is now pro-
crossing in the southern portion,
where fair to good stands are report
ed A few farmers are blowing up
cotton and planting over. Some re-
planting of corn is also going on; low
lands are being plowed and planted,
in many sections the stand of corn is
very good, and cultivating the crop is
advancing, but in most counties the
plants are very small, suffering to
some extent from cool, dry weather.
Cut or bud worms are reported to be
doing considerable damage to loWland
corn in places. a good deal of to-
bacco was transplanted during the
week, and this work is now general
over the most important tobacco
growing section; the work is finished
in some eastern and southern coun-
ties, where good stands. are not eX-
pected on account of drought; some
damage by worms to tobacco is re-
ported. In the extreme west where
there has generally been sufficient
rain, wheat and oats are improving;
some correspondents report winter
wheat better than an average crop,
but east of the Blue Ridge the condl-
ton of the cereal crops is not so good;
both wheat and oats are heading low,
and require more moisture for deVel-
opment. Many peanuts have been
planted this week and planting rice
is being pushed. Gardens and truck
are improving, though truck crops are
quite late; peas are being shipped with
crop short: beans are small; new po-
tatoes are in market, and generally po-
tatoes are doing very well; some sweet
potato slips have been set out. The
of strawberries continue.
Many correspondents report the con-
dition of fruit, especially apples, bet
ter than anticipated there will pro-
badly be more peaches also than ex-
pected though not a. half crop. Forest
trees in the mountainous section are
now clothed in green.
Rains reported: Goldsboro 0.60
inches; Greensboro, 1.06; Lumberton,
Ole; Newbern, LIP; Weldon, 1.50:
Raleigh, 0.69; Wilmington, 0.10; Char
lotte, 0.10; Hatteras, 0.70; Nashville,
0.T0; Moncure, 0.70; Liberty, 1.24:
Davidson. 1.75 Balsam. 1.25; Hender
sonville. 0.S0; Marion, 1.64; and Hen
rietta 0.S5.