The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-12
COUNTY CROP
SITUATION
Drought Materially Reduces
Hay Yield Damage by
Grasshoppers
CORN DELAYED BUT
is GROWING WELL
Potatoes Thrifty and Normal Yield Is
Expected-Rains Came in Time to
Help Oat Crop-Good Yield of Gar
den Produce and Berries


Help oat Crop-Good Yield of Gar
den Produce and Berries.
The extreme drouth during the latter
part of May and much of June result
ed in heavy damage to the hav cron
IN N1ndham county, especially in the
valleys where the farmers are .ecus-
toned TO get the first crop during the
latter part of June and then secure
another crop later in the season. The
situation Is not so discouraging in the
hlll towns and districts where only one
crop Is secured and where the farmers
are accustomed to begin harvestingI
about July 10 or Is. 1t is thought by
many farmers that the heavy rains
during the past two weeks Will help TO
Such an extent that at least two-thirds
or a crop will be realized. proyidino
1t IS not harvested until the latter part
of July
Farmers who already have harvested
state that on the average the crop isl
less than one-half yield, but thev feel
That the heavy rains will greatly helm
the after growth and that thev win be-
able to get a second crop. In some
sections the drouth so dried up the
grass that it was hardly worth har
Vestlng and the grasshoppers partially
ruined what small crops were standipg
The most afflicted districts are IN
Westminster, Rockingham, Townshend.
Jamaica, and few farms near Rra+
tieboro. Several farmers, through the
efforts and advice of A. w. SWeeton
OF the Windham Agricultural associa
tlon, have tried a scheme of poisonin a
thlS pest which has proved successful
IN some of these districts grasshoppers
were SO thick that they could be seen
from the road on practically every
bIade OF grass, and the highway was
so lined with them that it looked al
most alive. Automobiles freoueutlv
speak OF hearing the continual crush
under their wheels as they speedI
along the roads in the badly-infested|
districts.
The corn crop also has been delav-
Ell by the June drouth Although most
OF 1t is of good color and is GROWING
Wen, 1t does not look SO promising as
IN former years, except in a few in
stances where the soil was moist. Most
OF the farmers in districts where frost
troubles them use practically all of
thelr crop for ensilage, so that they
IeeI sure that the season will hold off
long enough for their crop to mature
Ior that purpose. In the Connecticut
valley, where the farmers sell their
sweet corn to the canning factories. it
Is anticipated that their crop will be
about normal, although it may be a
little late.
Potatoes throughout the county are
looking thrifty, and indications are
that the yield will be at least normal
and perhaps very good in those see
tlons where they Were planted late and
were just forming during the past
RAINY weather. IN those sections
where they were planted early and
and started during the drouth in Nav
1t is thought that the crop will be
light. As yet not enough have been
dug IN the county to Indicate what
the yield may be.
Oats are looking very well. Thev
were sown early in May and were well
rooted and the ground well covered be-
fore the drouth came on, and in some
instances have developed we'll Some
farmers anticipate that the. recent
rains viii tend to produce good
yield, as the rain came just in time
to help the crop.
Garden produce has been about nor
mai this year. Peas have yielded ex-
ccptIohdAIy WeiI ana the flavor has
been of high quality Some of the
gardens suffered from the dry wealth
er, but many gardens in the larger
towns were watered in various ways
so that the drouth did not hurt them
much. Tomatoes are looking very
good, and most of the vines have al
| ready large amount of small fruit
upon them. Beans are looking thrift
| ty, but very few indicate at present
what the yield will be this year.
The apple crop is not far enough de-
veloped to forecast accurately what it
will be this fall, but in many instan-
ces the heavy frosts during the latter
part of May seriously hurt the crop.
This is also true of other kinds of
fruit.
Although very little tobacco is
raised in Windham county. the growth
seems to be about normal.
Strawberries were exceptionally
good this year, in spite of the dry
weather during the time that the ber-
ries were forming, and they were of
exceptionally good flavor.
/ Raspb srries are not cultivated to
the yield promises to be about normal.