The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-16
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Annual Bulletin for Year 1904.

for such work. except in the northern coun-
 ties, where wet weather prevailed April ] and May were dry. unseasonahly cool, And | rather unfavorabie for examination and | growth of corn and cotton Favorable con
 ditions for crop growth marked June and July. though the rainfall during these months was insufficient in scattered portions | of the State August was cool, but generally | favorable for early corn and minor crops. | though excessive rains during the greater
 part of that month damaged cotton and | late corn, except in northern and some
 western counties, where the rainfall was l comparatively light and beneficial: during | that month considerable land adjacent to | rivers was inundated, and corn and cotton 1 thereon practically ruined. in some central | counties. where the rainfall quite ex- | cessive The fall dry and favorable | for gathering crops. though one of the most | severe drouths of which the Weather Bureau | has record in this State prevailed during [ September and October. causing late corn, | late cotton and minor crops to deteriorate e | considerably; this drouth was broken dur | ing the early part of November The first l killing frost occurred in many portions <of | the State on October 2Sd and 24th, and the 1 first general killing frost occurred Novem- CT l 14th, about the average date.
 l Small Grains-Oats and wheat ra- | tarded by cold weather in December and
 January. though both of these grains did | we'll during February; during the latter | month. considerable more oats were sown. | making the acreage devoted to this grain
 about the average, though tho acreage in
 wheat was slightly less than usual During | the spring months both these grains de- 1 terinrated through lack of moisture, though | improved by timely rains in northern coun- ties during April and early part of May: | the harvesting of wheat an doats began
 about the middle of May and was completed
 in June the yield of wheat being about the | average, with oats somewhat below
 Oats and wheat sown in October and early | part of November. up to good stands ! by the latter part of the last named month :: considerable more oats were sown during November and December and germinated
 well. though some were slightly damaged l hy the freeze the latter part of December. About the average acreage was sown to both wheat and oats. with indications that | more oats would be sown during the winter. Corn.--The planting of upland corn was central by March 18th, when some was up to good stands in southern and middle coun- ties. and planting had begun in the north
 ern district; this work was practically fin- l ished by the latter part of April when much | of the crop received it's first blowing but owing to continued cool and generally dry weather, was making slow growth; during May. 1t made healthy and steady growth. | with some "laid by" and little in tassel by the 25th of that month. The greater DOT tion of the lowland corn was planted dur | ing May. with the most of the crop up to
 fair stands by the 30th, though 1t was dam
 aged considerably by worms Both early
 an dlate corn made good progress during
 June and July, except where upland corn was damaged by previous drouth, and the lowland by cutworms; most of the upland
 quite generally by the 18th of that month:
 generally wat weather during August. fol- | lowed by the drouth of September and Oc- 1 tober. almost ruined the late planted, but the early. or upland crop, was too far | vanced to ba materially damaged: it cared
 well and was housed slowly during Sep | tember. October and the first half of Mo- vember. with a good yield.
 Fodder pulling began during the latter
 part of July. was pushed during August. | and practically finished by the middle of | September. large yield of this forage being ! secured In good condition. though consider.
 able was damaged by the wet weather o' | August.
 Cotton Preparation of cotton land be gan during February and was practically | completed by the end of March when plant. | in Gwas well under way in southern coun- ties this work was pushed during Apr"
 and was practically completed by May 10th.
 the acreage being somewhat above the aver | age; the early planted was up to poor stand" 1 by May 20th, when some replanting was done and some had been chopped; the dry. cool weather of April and May injured the early planted, and much of the late plan' ed failed to germInate. though. by the close of May. the stands had improved, and the crop was then clean and well cultimated with the greater portion chopped; during | most of the summer It made generally sat :. isfactory progress: chopping was completed
 during the first decade of June, when squares were forming and some blooms had appeared: at the close of July. there wer" some complaints of rust. blight, shedding and too rapid growth in some fields. on ac- count of wet weather; bolls were opening in southern courttes during the last decade of July. when picking began. the first bale of the season being marketed in Geneva county on the 26th of that month, which
 was several days earlier than usual. Aug ust was quite wet. causing deterioration from effects of rust and shedding, which, by the 18th of that month. was prevalent in middle and southern counties, where
 some rot reported; during the succeed
 ing three weeks. there vas some damage by boworms. scattered complaints of "black root. and early cotton shed much of it's fruit. The fall dry and favorable for gathering. but. pickers were scarce in he vanced to he materially damaged by the knling froais of October 23d and gath. The bulk of the crop was picked by october 18th.
 and practically all had been gathered by November 1Gth. with the yield slightly abose the average, the quality being excel | lent
 Fruit and Minor Crops.-Peaches and plums began to bloom In southern counties | during the last decade ,of February and | were In bloom and fruthlg well over the l entire Sta-c by the last of March, though a freeze on the @Sth of the latter month I S"rlously damaged peaches in northern and ! some stern counties. Gardening was well | advanced by the close Of March. when Eng l fish peas were in bloom over most of the State. and strawberries were ripcning in | southern counties During April strawber- l rles gathered with a good yield, and 1 sugar cane made fairly good stands, but gardens were retarded by dry weather L-ishp otatoes improved during May. and l were gathered with a good yield during tho ; latter part of that month. when sweet po- tatoes were being transplanted, with carly peaches ripeniuE, and gardens fairly good ! though melons were then backward and pas 1 tures poor. at this time considerable field peas and sorghum were planted, and some hay was kut Gardens and all minor crops did well during June, except in detached sections where the rain was insufficient: during this month early peaches and piums were marketed with good yields, a second crop of Irish potatoes planted, and grapes did well. though apples deteriOrated. Gardens and all minor crops made satisfac-
 tory progress during July, when late peach es and WateTmelnns were marketed with a
 good yield though cantaloupes were h.
 ferior. Wet weather during August retard-
 ed having but all minor crops lid fairly we'll: during this month apples pears and grapes made a fairly good yield. though
 esese fruits and sweet potatoes were dam
 aged somewhat by excessive moisture. Cane, | sorghum. sweet potatoes and other minor field crops were seriously injured by the severe drouth during September and Oc- tobcr but made fairly good yields, though the second crops of Irish potatoes ana turnips were generally failure however,
 latter part of October did well. The dry fall retarded blowing. though the year
 closed with some ground broken for next
 years staple crops
 Climatic Summary for the Year.
 Temperature (deRrees Fahrenheitl. Mean
 for the northern district. 50 8; for the south
 ern district 64. g: for the State 62. &, CT
 nearly one-h half degree below normal: high
 sst i04 at Newborn, September 29th; low
 est g. at Riverton on January 27th; annual
 range for the entire State. 95; the greatest
 vearIv mean was 67.3. at Cttronelle. least
 yearly mean was 5s.s. at Valley Head.
 Precipitation Gin inches and hundredthsl
 southern district. 39 27. for the State. 39 5S.
 ar nearly II inches below normal; the great
 est yearly 1.03, at Oneonto: the least
 yearly, 32:64 at No,ssuisa' the smallest