Year: 1864

Our readers are aware that apprehen-
sions have been felt and expressed in diff
ferent parts Of the State with regard TO
the prospects of our coming wheat crop
in Michigan. II is seldom that so many
complaints have been heard. These we
are forced TO believe arc not altogether the
idle croahings of the farmers, a class il
must be admitted, who are prone TO look
upon the dark side, and indulge in fears
with regard TO the safety of their crops,
when trouble borrowed in this way is
quite unnecessary. We have been in
clined TO look upon these complaints with
many grains of allowance, but finally
have been compelled, from personal ex-
animation and observation, and from in
formation that we get from large list Of
correspondents, extending through nearly
every county in the State, to admit that
the prospects of the coming wheat crop
in this State are not of the most encour-
aging character. 1t is perhaps pretty
early yet in the season to judge of the
coming crop, but all appearances arc
not deceiving We know the effect of
warm, spring rains, and genial suns, aud
refreshing dcws; but we also know that
when the wheat is absolutely dead, win-
ter killed at the roots, no amount Of rain
and sunshine will again bring it TO life.
The hard freezing, with alternate thawng
in December and January, and the alb
sence Of snow during nearly the whole
winter season, especially in the eastern
part of the State, with the roots of the
plant unprotected, has caused the wheat
to pretty generally "winter kill" BY
generally, we mean that nearly every
wheat field is more OF less Injured. Some
estimate that the crop will be reduced To
one.half that of previous years; others,
including the most sAuguine, do not think
we can have over two-thirds of a CROP
The present injury and blight to the
wheat prospects have resulted, in n grent
measure, by late sowing. This was done
to avoid the depredations of the fly; but
the plant, in avoiding the rocks Of Scylla,
has been swallowed up in the whirlpool
of Chary bdis; in other words, by trying
to escape the fly by late sowing, our farm
ers have invoked the vengeance of dire
winter upon the roots of the wheat plant,
it being unprotected by growth of leaves.


The eastern part of the State has ex-
perienced the effects of winter killing to
greater degree than any other. The many
almost totally barren fields in some por-
tions of Wayne county, in Oakland, Gen
esee and Saginaw counties are visible wit
nesses of the damage received. Our adj
vices from the central portion of the State
are rather more encouraging, while our
correspondents in the western portion of
State are still more confident and hopeful.
In the heavy wheat producing counties
Of st. Joseph, Branch, Hilsdale aud Len
awee, and generally through the south
ern portion of the State, We are assured
that from fair to average crop is expect
ed. The breadth Of surface sowh last
fall will probably fall little short of the
previous year, though those best inform
cd generally place it upon fair average
of those of previous years. Scarcity and
the high price of labor have compelled in
some portions of the State a rather loose
method of farming, at least not up to the
prime Of Michigan style, which doubtless
accounts to some extent for the present
condition of some of the wheat fields
Det. Free Press, March 9Th.