Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1888 — THE GROWING CROPS. [ARTICLE]

THE GROWING CROPS.

What is Shown Concerning Indiana by the Reports to the Agricultural Department. The special bulletin just issued at the Department of Agriculture on the condition of the growing wheat throughout the country has the following observa* tions on Indiana, together with-the reports which follow from the county agents: “There is but a slight improvement in the condition of winter wheat. A number of counties report the growth and development of the plants as very satisfactory, with marked increase of condition, while other report that the fly is doing great damage. The large central belt remains apparently the same as last month. The area has been greatly reduced by unfavorable appearance in early spring. Rye has not suffered the same as wheat; there is but- slight reduction in area and conditiomiafarr. There is a large increase in the sown tn oats, & large proportion of which shows very favorable, but many fields were sown late, causing some z reduction in condition. . ~ ' “The condition of clover is improving. Spring pastures are much improved by recent rains. There was a very full bloom on the apple and peach trees, but some damage was caused by frost. “Brown county: The prospect is very -poor, wonw than it has been- for . yeeMbWhite: The acreage was increased fully 20 per cent, over last year, but it was sO badly winter-killed that much of area has been put in other crops. What is est is thin on the ground and the plants are weakly. Fayette: It has been very dry; recent rains may yet improve it

very much. Grant: Much of the wheat has been plowed up and the land sown to other crops. Huntington: Onethird of, the area sown in wheat wasplowed up and. sown in oats and com. Jasper . Looking well; weather has been favorable. Putnam: Half the land sown in wheat has been plowed up and planted to other crops. The recent rains have improved the wheat. GibsOn: Generally looking well, but many fields will be» short. Montgomery: The Wheat crop is in a very discouraging condition.' The little that escaped the winter received the concentrated ravages of the Hessian fly, and one-half of what escaped winter frosts has been ruined by the fly. Blackford: It was so dry and cold through April and May that wheat almost completely died out. Much of the land was plowed up. and sowed in other crops. From present indications farmers will not reap more than was required to sow the land. Crawford: Greatly improved by the recent rains. Kosciusko: The wheat that was left on the ground is doing well. Monroe: Greatly improved in condition since the rains set in. Clinton: The acreage in wheat has been reduced 25 per cent, by bping plowed up and what remains cannot make more than one-fourth of a crop, and farmers think they will do well to make as much as was required to sow the land last fall. Dearborn: On the black hillsides and bottom lands it‘never looked better at this season of the year, but on the clay soil it froze qut badly, and will make but very little grain. Decatur: It had no snow protection, badly froze out; much of it clings by small roots, and the six weeks’ dry weather has caused much of it to die, and the condition is unfavorable. DeKalb: Doing w r ell since the rains set in, and great improvements' anticipated during the month of June. Dubois: Improved very much during May. Floyd: Where the land was well drained and the wheat properly planted it never looked better. Hancock: The weather has been sold during the month of May and wheat has made slow’ growth, and if it makes a half a crop it will be considered doing well. Howard: Much of the landw’as plowed up, the stand was so poor; hence there is less acreage than last year. The condition is poor. Jay: Almost a total failure. A great many fields plowed up and planted to other grain, and w hat remains will hardly be worth cutting. Jefferson: Improved very much during the month of May. Should it continue to improve at the same rate it will make an average crop: Lagrange: The improvement has been remarkable since last report and it is still growing better. There is some tendency to reduce the acreage, but as more land is being brought under cultivation the probability is that it will remain about the same. Marion: Spring backward; there has been an almost constant decline in the condition of Morgan: The poorest prospect for fifty years; and at least 10 per cent, of the acreage has been plowed up and planted in other crops, Parke: There are some good fields where they were protected by timber. Considerable damage by Hessian fly. Steuben: The prospect is good where it is not too thin. Some fields will yield an average crop. Vigo: Poor prospect; many farmers have planted their wheat land in corn. Warrick: Injured some by chinch bugs and dry weather. Wayne: The condition has improved perceptibly since recentrains set in. Whitney: Rather poor,but now doing well. Hamilton: Practically a failure. During the past week the Hessian fly has appeared in large numbers in the wheat fields. Porter: It is now: growing very fast, but it stands too thin on’the ground to make over half a crop. Sullivan: There is a falling off in the conditiom caused by chinch-bugs principally.”