The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-07
PROGRESS OF CROPS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
 OF AGRICULTURE.
Climate and Crop Bulletin of tht
 Weather Bureau, Alabama l. Section.

Montgomery. Ala, April B. 1904
 The winter months, while. as a whole. not so farovarble as desired gave ire quent periods quite favorable for farm work. December was continuously cold. though not extremely so; the only warm period was from the End to 18th when temperatures ranged as high as T degrees in southern counties; this was followed by a general freeze. giving temperatures as lsw as II degrees in northern coun- ties The rainfall during December was generally deficient, except in a few south western counties. where it was slightly above the normal. January was almost continuously cold. with a cold wave on the End and 3rd, giving a severe freeze in northern counties and freezing tenn perature to the Gulf coast While the preelpitatlon in January was somewhat below the normal. rains were quite ire quent and well distributed throughout the month; snow, ranging in depth from ? to 10 inches. fell in north-centrai counties on the 18th. The first two decades of FeDruary were generally cool though with little freezing weather: the last de. cade was warm. making the average tenn perature for the month slightly above normal: rains were general from 9th to ntn ana rom 18th to 2nd, but the greater portion or the last decade was dry and favorable for work
 The continued dry, cold weather of De- cember prevented blowing. and hinder ed the sowing of wheat and oats; germi- IiSSV hIdllls was checked hY the cold. and the late sowing did not come up readily; oats sown in Nnvnuher were damaged by the freeze of December 26,27. being killed in some localities; wheat reeeiVed only slight injury: germi- nation and growth of these grains u,as further retarded by the cold of January though they received some beneft froT the snow during the latter part of that month. Considerable more oats were sown during February and, at the cIose of that month, both wheat and oats wave making fair progress. with about inc average acreage in oats. and the acreape in wheat slightly below the average Fruit trees continued in good condition throughout the winter, the continuous cold preventing premature budding; the warm weather near the close of Fehrua- " caused peaches and plums to bloom freely in southern and middle districts and the buds to swell in northern coun. ties. Winter gardens in southern conn. ties were killed by the freeze of Decem- Der 26-27; gardening progressed well, and Strawberries made good growth durine month. early vegetables were up, ant cabbage was being set out in Gulf coun ties.
 Some corn and cotton land was pre- pared during January; during the latte part of February this work was pusbef vigorously and. at the close of tha month, was well advanced. with a Httl, upland corn planted in southern counties much commercial fertilizer was purchas ed during January and February large acreage of Irish potatoes was plant ed during February.
 The month of March, as a whole, wa. favora ble for farm work; the rainfall was comparatively light and interferet very little with blowing and planting except in northern counties, where 1t wal too wet for such work There was m severe cold, though light freezes oc cured over the northern half of tn, State on the 4th and 5th summer-lik, temperatures prevailed oyer the entir, State during the first half of the last de cade; on the 27th. there was quite a sud den celd change, frost and thin ice form ing in northern counties on the 18th
 The planting of upland corn was gen erai over the southern half of the State with much of it up to good stands to- wards close of the month. when plan;ine of this grain had begun in northerT counties. Tho greater portion of the cot toi. land was prepared, and cotton plant ing was underway in southern countie. during the last decade with ind cations that the acreage in this stapl would be increased over that of last year Apples. peaches, plums and pears fruite6 heavily, and. at the close of the month the fruit prospect was generally very bright except in northern counties, where peaches were somewhat damaged by inc fxnst and freeze of the 18th Strawberries