Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1891 — HOW THE CROPS LOOK. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOW THE CROPS LOOK.

ENCOURAGING OUTLOOK IN ALL SECTIONS. Spring Wheat Ail Seeded—Winter Wheat Headed Out— Corn-Planting Progressing Favorably - -General Condition of the Country Hry—Effect oi the Recent Hard Frost. The grain growing areas of the country have experienced a period of dry weather accompanied by severe frosts which are''thought to have damaged more or less the small fruit, nipped the spring wheat, and what it has done to the winter wheat, which was just heading out, it is impossible at this time to say. WINTER WHEAT. In Central Illinois the prospects now are that the early wheat will be lit to cut by the middle of June. The crop is generally heading out. In Southern Illinois wheat is from fourteen to eighteen inches high. Considerable of it is in head already. There are no signs of fly or insects yet. The frost damaged vegetables and fruit to some extent There was more or less wheat just ready to head out and the earliest wheat may have been damaged. In many of the largest winter wheat countries in Southern Illinois wheat on the bottom lands is over two feet in height, and on high lands about twelve inches high. Northern Indiana reports a cold, dry week, with a recent hard frost The

crop as a whole stands even, and is growing very slowly. The plants aie perfectly,Wealthy and strong, and the prospects are good for a large crbp. Wheat is scarce, and more or less is shipped in all the time to supply the home trade. In Central and Southern Indiana the wheat is from eighteen inches to three feet high. The weather has been dry and cool for ten days. No reports of fly or insect. Harvest will be on about June |2O. In Northern Ohio wheat has made slow growth during the last fourteen days. Late-sown fields where the water has stood are more or less spotted, although the prospects for wheat are as a whole good. In Southern Ohio wheat lias literally caught up with itself. This situation was caused by the

unusually favorable weather during April. Now wheat ought to be on the market by July 4. Winter wheat in Southern Michigan varies all the way from six to ten inches in height The weather has been cool and dry and the crop is doing well. In Southern Kansas wheat will probably be harvested about June 15. Its height is from eight to eighteen inches. In Northern Kansas wheat will now average from twelve to fourteen inches in height. None has headed out yet. In Northern Missouri wheat is now from ten to fifteen inches in height, and just ready to head out. In Southern Missouri the largest wheat is now fqjly twenty-four inches high, and the general condition

of the crop is uniform; the earliest varieties wiil bo ready to harvest about the first week in June. In Tennessee the early wheat is now all, headed out. In Kentucky theie is some complaint of wheat turning yellow on account of the grain louse. These complaints, however, are not very numerous. In Northern Texas wheat is three feet high and headed out. Harvest will commence the last of Way. Oregon reports winter wheat about ten inches high. The April rains helped the fall wheat greatly, and the crop looks better than at this time last season. Harvest will commence the latter part of July. SPRING WHEAT, In the Red River Valley spring wheat is practically now all seeded**' The early sown wheat is coming up evenly and the stand is considered good generally. The acreage is about the same as last year, possibly a trifle larger. There is quite a diversity of opinion with regard to the effect of frost the present week upon the young wheat plants. Some c aim frost is _beneticial, causing it to root deeply and stool out better. While there have been no rains recently, crops are not suffering, although showers

would undoubtedly bo a benefit. In South Dakota wheat is about four inches high. Although the season is late the general conditions arc so much mom favorable than usual that crops will soon catch up. In Minnesota the early sown wheat is generally up all over tho State; the stand is good. corn. * The country is forging ahead rapidly in planting the corn crop. Large areas of corn will be in the ground within the next ten days. Of course in several of the States the bulk of the crop is now in the ground. OATS. During the week tne oat crop of tho country lias hardly held its own. There is no uniformity in its general condition. Nebraska probably shows the best outlook at present for a full crop of any State where a surplus crop of oats is made. In Missouri and Kansas the conditions are not an average; in Tennessee and Kentucky the prospects arc poor; in the State of Illinois fair; very uneven in Indiana and Ohio; in lowa more or less mixed. It is too early to say anything yet with regard to the condition of the oat crop in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The late frost was not confined to limited areas. It swept over the country from North Dakota, where the spring wheat was just coming up, and left its mark upon it, and went upon its journey of destruction across the country as far south as the Ohio River, where it caught the early v/inter wheat, just ir\ head.

Rich Men and Charity. In a recent speech Abram S. Hewitt is reported to have said that he knew but one rich man in New York—and by rich he meant a man worth at leat $20,000.000 who was doing his duty. That man, he said, devoted his entire income, above the sum required for the necessaries of life, to charity. This show's a decidedly high standard on Mr. Hewitt’s part in two respects, remarks the Pittsburg Dispatch. That a man must have $20,000,00H before he is rich reduces the vast bulk of the population to a common level of poverty, while if the rich man gives all his income above the necessaries of life to charity he will do very well—unless

the necessaries for a millionaire include yachts, racing stables and cottages at Tuxedo and Newport. But as there is only ooe rich man who does his duty the crowd of common millionaires and half-millionaires must be reconciled to their poverty and their superior virtue.

[Winter wheat. Heading out Making rapid growth. Some danger of “lodging.” Early harvest, June 15.

[Spring wheat. All In the ground. Early sown. Has come up well and made a good stand.]

[Corn and oats. Good weather for planting corn. A little dry for oats.]