Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-05-24

John NJ. True, secretary of the state
board of agriculture, has prepared a
report regarding the condition of
growing crops ana the comparative
! acreage OF the principal farm crops
of the present season with that of last
year. He has secured information
from the crop correspondents in vari-
GUS sections of the state The report
follows:
"The weather of the past month has
been favorable for the growth of win
ter grains, clover and the grasses,
also for the termination of spring
grains sowed Soils have been in ex-
cellent condition, friable and easily
put in fine form for seed The stands
of oats, barley and spring wheat are
satisfactory in most localities, though
some complaint is made of the infer
ior quality of seed oats, resulting in a
thin stand. Notwithstanding the high
price of seed, We are pleased to note
that the usual amount of land has
cen seeded ii clover, ana the pres,
ent suficiency of soil moisture in
sures a good catch ami vigorous early
growth.
Excessive Rainfall.
During the past few days the rain
fall throughout the state has been eX-
cessive and much of the land is now
too wet to be worked, preparatory to
planting corn and late potatoes. In
the southern division of the state
more or less corn planting had been
done previous to the rainy period, AMI
had favorable weather continued the
crop would have been generally
planted before the goth The central
division will be from three to five
days LATER while the northern division
can hardly hope to do much planting
before June LIST. Should the weather
soon become favorable and good seed
be planted, the outlook for the corn
crop is not necessarily diScouraging.
Farmers who have not yet planted
should not fail to test their seed be
fore planting In the estimates of
comparative acreage of crops with
The past season, we note a continued
falling off in winter wheat, rye ana
spring wheat, and reduction of acre
age of potatoes and tobacco, with a
marked increase in acreage of barley.
cats, p4eadow, pasture and sugar
beets. Fruit is generally reported in
promising condition. No severe frosts
have occurred since blossoms were
developed, Under the head of condi-
lion ct crops we report the following
percentages. 100 representing high
ayegage condition:
Southern division-Winter wheat
100; rye 1907; clover 103 Y timothy
meadows 100; pastures 9915; fruit 50.
Central diyision-Winter whest 90;
rye 80; clover 101; timothy meadows
So pastures 9712 fruit 80
No herp division - Winter wheat
u; rye 100; clover 1O3 Timothy mead
ows 100; pastures SO; fruit 97l2.
Comparative Acreage.
Southern dlvision--Winter wheat
90 rye 80; sprtug wheat IS; barley
1875 oats 100; corn 80; potatoes 80.
meadow 1872: pasture 100; sugar beets
1874, tobacco 80.
central DIVISION - winter WHEAT
SS1a rye 81; spring wheat IS; barley
1902 oats 1903; corn 100: potatoes 95;
pasture 10f: meadow 101; sugar beets
los: tobacco go
Northern divfsion-Wiuter wheat
100 rye 1902; spring wheat 100; bar
ley l09; oats rs; corn 9412; potatoes
So; meadow 105; sugar beets 100; to-
bacco 100.
From these statements we make
the following general estimate of to-
tai acreage of crops in the state, COM
pared with last year:
Winter wheat 80; rye 81; spring
wheat 81; barley 105; oats 1902; corn
"a; potatoes SO. meadow 1903; pasture
1902; sugar beets l15; tobacco 92.