Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1895 — SMALL GRAINS SAFE. [ARTICLE]

SMALL GRAINS SAFE.

DAMAGE BY THE FROST IS NOT SERIOUS. Cheering Reports from Fifteen Western States—Fruits and Vegetables Pinched by the Cold—Slight Injury Otherwise in a Few Sections. Severe Fall in Temperature. Reports from throughout the Northwest indicate severe damage to small fruits and vegetable crops in almost every section by the frost of Saturday night. The grain crops, h'owever, are reported safe. Wheat and oats escaped uninjured, because neither had begun to joint, und where cut down by the frost or l(eavy rains will sprout again. Corn was slightly nipped by the cold in a few States, but not enough to occasion the slightest alarm that the yield will be affected to any noticeable extent. In a general way this states the condition of the three great staples in the Mississippi valley. There is no longer any ground for a scare in the face of these facts. On the contrary, the outlook is said to be better than it was May 1, when it was unusually promising. On the whole, the news from the fifteen States visited by the frost is of a cheering nature. Illinois fared best of all the States. Secretary Garrard, of the State Board of Agriculture. attributes the death of millions of chinch bugs (o the heavy rains, and says the ground needed just such an amount of moisture to make the future of the crops more promising. From but two points in the State have the signal service officers received reports of damage by the sudden fall in the temperature. Wisconsin dispatches show that considerable harm has been done to small fruits and gardens. North of Green Bay the frost worked the greatest damage. Baraboo and Boscobel will send few strawberries to market, and Pine River will have a shortage on potatoes and corn. The southern and western portions of the State espaped the blight, and iu no part of the State has any damage to wheat, oats or corn been reported.

Some Damage to Fruit. Fears are expressed that there has been much injury inflicted upon the fruit region of Michigan, especially on the highlands. A stiff wind saved the peaches, apples and strawberries along the lake shore, and the warm weather had pushed fruit so rapidly that it was hardy enough to withstand the frost in most sections. Vegetables and garden truck growing in the interior of the State were badly hurt. Farmers believe the spring wheat and corn are all right. From lowa comes the assurance that both winter and spring wheat, corn and oats are generally safe. While corn was killed back to the ground, it will grow again. Discouraging reports come from all over the State, however, on the condition of fruits and vegetables, and in this respect lowa has probably been the worst injured of all the States. Minneapolis cereals are reported safe, but corn, vegetables and small fruits were greatly damaged. Kansas escaped the frost except in the southern portion of the State, where some damage was done to fruits. Missouri and Indiana were not affected by the frost in the least.