Newspaper Page Text
Circular No. 128. }
New Series.
CROP REPORT
for the: month of june; i boo.
Returned to the Department of Agriculture June 1,1890.
State ok Georgia, Atlanta, Department Ga., of June Agriculture, 9, 1890. 1
GENERAL REMARKS.
While a careful reading of the Notes from Correspondents, and
study of the tabulated statement of general average condition of all
crops, this season, as compared with same date last year, will give a
more satisfactory idea of the general condition of the growing crops than
any summary of a few words only, 1 can but congratulate the farmers
on the fair prospect indicated by these reports. A general improvement
in the condition of agriculture, as well as of the individual farmer, is
apparent. The principles of economy and independence taught by the
Alliance are making their impress on the people, and I can but believe
they are now on the road to that prosperity which should ever be the
reward of honest labor.
CORN.
The condition of this crop is reported at 97, seven points better than
at same date last year. Much complaint is made of bud worm, espe
dally on lowlands, and consequently bad stands, However, the incli
cations are that a good crop has been planted, and it is in fair condition.
The only suggestion I can make in regard to the bud worm is, that lands
most subject to these pests should be planted at as late a date as possible,
and soon after the coni is up it should be barred off and soil raked
away, exposing as much of the lower part of the stem to the sun as pos
sible. This seems to harden the stem and cause the worm to seek cooler
quarters.
COTTON
is reported in better condition and a better stand than at same date last
year. The stand is given at 93, as against 75 same date last year, and
the condition at 93, as against 82 same date last year. Some complaint
is made of scarcity of labor for “chopping out,” but fair progress in.
this work has been made, and the outlook is favorable.
GRAIN CROPS.
Wheat and oats are both reported as badly damaged by freezes and
rust, and the percentages of yield for both are put at very low figures.
A liberal area should be seeded to peas to make up for any lack of forage
consequent on the failure of the oat crop.
THE FRUIT CROP.
Peaches are reported at 21 per cent., against 100 same date last year;
apples 37, against 79 last year; pears 38, against 85 last year; grapes'SS,
against 97 last year; from which it will be seen that all fruits have been
more or less damaged, though peaches have suffered most, and in some
sections the crop is a total failure.
OTHER FOOD CROPS
are reported in good condition, with fair acreage planted:
TkssjfeVUvWRft \e a tabulated statement:
AVERAGE FOR THE SECT IONS’AN I) STATE.
I ^ I \o I
! Potatoes—Acreage. - i
S £ I u • Potatoes—Yield'- 7
£ 0 caches—Percentage.
-otton—Condiiit Sugar-cane-~Stan<l. uoq—oubo-jbSii p D1 Rice—Condition. 1 Condition. l! ■2 § a si wool.
Wheat—Yield. If of
71 ' Freezes. < q Irish Sweet ! ~ i Melons— I i m < 0- g sadui t Sbeep-tCllp
I
North Georgia. .........;95|(19j 38 Mt 03 (98 98! 991 ]......!98; 97198} 100|... "8 97 st 35,55 14 91 95
South Middle Georgia.......... Georgia— ..........il>7 |r»8l 41 38 45 59 182 197 j 89i i 100192 tv-... 97,94 90189! % 90'89 87i 19 13 1 38 27(31 301911 ;8(|j hxi 95
went .......... -, 195193 j j 94195 < !
East Georgia............ ..........198! 57 i 35 t : 43 j | 98'91 97 98 ... 9j 19131 44150j 93( 94
Southeast Georgia..... ..........97j42J 03 :\P- ... 96 88} 99*171 $00 88 8'B 91 ... 31 87 95
Average for State, June 1, 1890. 97 .58 ' 42 52 198 93; 95 I 97 90 98 923'5,93j85 21;.17
Average for Suite, June 1, lsso.|9Q ! 00| 13 ;94i 15 (75(82 92 [ 00(75; 84 78i90 89!...j HXt{79;8fij97|
NOTES FROM CORRESPONDENTS.
NORTH GEORGIA.
Banks .— 1 Goods rains; land too wet to work for some days; grass grow
ing rapidly. Farmers a week behind with their work. The little wheat
that is in the county Is being cut.—W. .1. 15. Chattooga .—Demand for corn
Increasing somewhat. Price now, Ho cents cash; 75 cents time. Clover
prospect good. Ruin plenteous. General outlook good.—I). W. Chero
kee .—Wheat badly damaged from freezes and rust. Early sowed oats al
most a failure ; later, good. Never seen better stand of cotton; fear the
cool nights will thin it out. Corn looking well; bad stand on lowlands,
People pretty well up with their work. J. J. A. S. Wheat is as near a
failure as we have ever had, owing, i think, to fly, freeze and rust.—M. K. j
P. Cobb .—Corn poor stand; injured by bud worm; average about 70. Cot
ton good stand and looks well; 10 days late. Oats, early sown entire fail
ure ; few late sown looking medium. Wheat, not over one-fifth crop
Grass and clover looking well but late, owing to cold in March.—A. C. IX
Dawson .—Corn was badly damaged by frost May 8th, and the bud worm
has killed a great deal; the stand will lie very irregular. Wheat badly
damaged by rust. Cotton, where the plant was up, killed out. Farmers
pretty well up with the season, with fine rains the latter part of May.— P.
J. C. Early planted corn has good stand and looking fine; late planted
greatly damaged by bud worms, but the prespeet good now for a stand.
Cotton, imperfect stand; some planting over; others replanting the miss
iug places. W heat the poorest for years; it don’t look like it would much
more than make the seed sown. There are no melons raised in the county
for shipment by railroad.—A..I.L. Floyd. Wheat and fall oats nearly a
failure. Spring oats will probably make a half crop. Crops of all kinds
ten to fifteen days late. Plenty of peaches and apples. Farm hands very
scarce, on account of public works.-J. D. McC. Forsy</».-Wheat is killed ;
by freezes and rust; from one-lourth to one-half of area will not be bar
vested, it is so sorry. The first or early sowing of oats is no good; late!
sowing looks little is perfectly spotted, splendid. caused by Corn bud looks very Best well, stand only of in lowlands gener-1 it j
a worms. cotton,
ally, for years; ten days or two weeks early.-T. L. 8. franklin .-The
good farmers seasons, are well and up plenty with their of good work. sunshine We have weather; had a the beautiful spring, |
prospects were
never better for a good crop. Cotton, corn and oats are looking line. The
wheat is injured by the rust, but will be better than 1 once thought it
would ! think the fanners’future is bright-J.B. D. MeW. Wheat a
failure from rust fall oats a failure from rust; spring oats about an aver
age Have had plenty of rain. Crops near an average condition. Yours
on the breeding of mules a timely suggestion. J. H. 8. Gilmer.-Qo rn is
badly injured by insects killing i, in the bud. Wheat crop is almost a total
failure, and considerable amount of cheat mixed with -iwor it —L T Gordon
-*«-»• * --.....*. ~«
age crop of wheat Oats almost ruined by freezes.-.!. G. B. E. Gwinnett,
-Corn injured probably ten per cent, by bud worms. About five percent,
cotton killed by frost the 7th ; planted over and looking well. We
on seldom
had a season every week this month, and corn and cotton
more promising. Wheat and oats, taken all over, will not make
more than the seed.—T. It. Rather too much rain in May for cot¬
I can verify what the Commissioner says in reference to the cost of
raising colts. 1 have raised several during my life for use on my farm, and
never realized that they cost me seareely anything. Beats paying out Kb)**
for a farm mule all at once, Every farmer, who terms himself such,
should raise his stock and provisions. Can some one explain the almost
entire absence of caterpillars that usually infest the orchards of this coun¬
try?-J. M. P. Stands of cotton never better, and never more healthy.
Corn promises well; good stand ; better than usual. The excessive rains
of late have given the grass an advantage; but a week of sunshine will
subdue it on most farms.—R. I). W. Habersham .—Farm laborers are very
scarce and unreliable. Nearly all of the cotton crop has been thinned to a
stand in this county. Bud worms are very bad in corn on lowlands; some
are plowing up and planting over. I would like to hear from some of my
brother farmers on fattening hogs on Spanish peanuts. I raised eight
bushels from the package our efficient Commissioner sent me in 1888. I
have one acre planted this season for hogs.—:S. B. Hull, it is too early
to estimate the average for grapes, Drape culture is growing in favor every
year. Your efforts to induce the farmers to raise more stock are commend¬
able. Can you not induce them to raise more stock feed, in the way of
beets, rutabagas, etc., in addition to the grasses, clover, etc. ?—A. R. 8.
Corn looking well on stubble and bottom lands. Bud worms very bad,
causing many to plant over. Cotton looking well where well worked;
wheat ruined with rust and fly; oafs in some places looking well, in other
places poor stand from freezes. Farms in better condition from work than
usual for this*season of the year.—W. F. W. The acreage of melons in
this county would be very hard to make. Almost every farmer raises some
for market, but they are only sold from the wagon, just about enough to
meet the local demand. There is some rice being planted in this county,
but on a small scale. The tobacco crop will be shorter than usual, owing
to killing the plants by the last freeze and frost. The yield of clover bids
fair to be the largest ever grown in this county. Packages of seeds received
and planted and result will be reported. I send you a stalk of grass only
recently discovered; Last year it headed out about the first of May.
Keen now about ripe. Seems to be perennial; will save the seed this year.
Grows well on good upland and bottom land. Stock seems to eat it well.
1 wish to know what kind of grass it is. If you wish I will send you a
few of the seed.— Ar8. W- [Send us some of the seed, together with
another specimen of grass, in bloom, if possible, and will name it. —Com.]
Haralson .—Fine stands of early planted corn and cotton. -Later plantings
not so good. Bud worms on bottoms very destructive. Cotton and corn
look encouraging. It was dry until the 27th, when w« wftrns season.
Some oats; no wheat.—J. W. U- Wheat very poor; probably
damaged by fly. Fall oats much hurt by frost, yet the whole crop taken
together will probably make an average. Up to this time seasons have
been good,—J. J. The brighe.4 prospects for several years—more home
supplies, best stands of cotton and corn, and the most hopeful outlook for
years. I am not a member of-the Alliance on account of mercantile inter¬
est, but it is a potent fact that it is doing a long needed work.— 1 T. S. J
Madison .— Corn and cotton all right. Wheat and oats very near a failure.
Farmers in the grass owing to the scarcity of day hands.—J. F. P.
Murray .—Light frost here on May 8th, but no material damage done.
Very early cotton was slightly damaged.— H. H. Wheat almost a failure.
Fall sown oats badly winter killed. Prospect good for cotton, corn, pota¬
toes, etc.—J. A. McK. Fadldingf —Nearly impossible to get a stand of
corn on lowland on account of bud worms. The people are generally up
with their work. The Alliance is still moving onward.—P. P. McB.
Pickens. —Cool nights continue, to the injury of the growing corn.' A
small white worm, having a Muck head, lias caused a great many to have
to plant their corn the secondhand some the third time. The farmers are
behind, owing to too milch ram. The wheat lias been injured by a small
fly, freezes and rust- It now lias the scab. The out-look, I am sorry to say,
is rather gloomy.—E. R. A. Folk,— We have had fine seasons, and cotton
and corn seems to he on a general boom—the prospects for either as fine as
I ever saw at this time of year. Most fields are perfectly free from grass
and weeds. Worms nave nttanten tw pram crop, ana most of them
fall off before they ripen. Peanuts and' melons are such sftiall crops
us that they are hardly worth reporting.—R. T. P. Rabun. r-The
are later with their work this; spring than usual. They are taking
time hi preparing their lands for the crop than usual, and the wet
has had something to do with the tardiness of work on the farms.
people are not done planting torn in this county at this writing, (May
There libs been a good season in the last three days. Rust on wheat
rye, but none on oats.—E. S. The oat crop not advanced far enough to
timate the yield; the prospect now indicate a fair yield. None, or
few', sown last fall. Early spuing seeded slightly injured by freeze.
wheat crop injured fully half by freeze and rust. The rye crop is
to some extent by a small gretai louse sucking the grain.—F. A. B.
—In parts of the county wliea,t is ruined by the rust, and in other parts
wheat crop is tolerably good. Oats are row taking the rust, and I
will be Jruined. No peaches except high up in the coves, where they
protected front the north winds.—M. J. B. Wheat is looking very
Rust on blades before it headed out; heads coming small and irregular.
Bud worms bad on young corn.—J. N. G, Union .—Wheat may fall
the per cent. (60) on account of the freeze and rust. We think the peach crop
a failure on account of late frost. Corn is above an average as to condition
and appearance; no injury up to this time by spring frost.—H. L.
Walker. —Cotton, good stand and looks well. Corn has been preyed on by
bud worms, and has been in many fields heavily replanted. Wheat is a
failure. The crop will not yield the seed that was sown—ruined by fly,
freeze and rust. Oats badly damaged by freeze -a little over half crop will
be realized.—J. Y. W. Spring little cool, but perfect stands of com and
cotton. Pastures fine, clover' never better and stock of all kinds healthy
and fat.—F. M. Y. White .—Ccgl weather has continued till now. Rad
stand of corn in bottom land. , Some planting over. Owing to some cause
the prospect for wheat was poor, later the rust seized it. Oats killed by
March freeze. Hail storm passed through the county on May 7th, destroy
ing cotton, wheat, rye, fruit, etc., in its course. Sweet potatoes not all
up. Plenty of rain. No melons raised for shipping in White county.
No sickness more than usual among stock.—C. H. K. Whitfield .—Wheat
almost a complete failure on account of freeze and rust; the freeze so dam
aged it that it lias made but little except cheat. Spring oats as fine as I
ever saw and no rust. Corn and cotton late, but looks well. Clover and
grass so damaged by the March freeze that the weeds got the start and will
damage the crop. Peach trees badly * killed by late freeze, and what fruit
three is, is very defective.—J. F. G.
MIDDLE GEORGIA.
Bibb .—'Too much rain just now. While all crops look well there is a
full average crop of grass, both stand and condition._B T R Baldwin
_
Peach crop failure, excepting few seedlings. Farmers well up with work
and not so much in debt. Fall oats housed in fine condition sDrin« oats
will yield about an average of 10 per cent.—J. D M Butts —Fine s ^Farl ,
and corn and cotton looking well where well worked and planted v
bud worms have done some damage to lowlands. Our farmers are raisins
more stock than usual. The Alliance has done that much <r 00 d —T G P
Campbell. Cotton looks well, though small. Corn a little off. Oats a
failure. But little wheat sown. Peaches no good. Stock looks well and
the farmers generally cheerful.—F. H. S Farmers are well un with tl •
farms. Stand of corn and cotton perfect; looking fine Wheat oafs and
peaches a failure. Stock in good condition. Seasons good • farmers hltm hone
ful. The Alliance firm, etc.-J. S. D. The weather lias been favor,
May for farming until the last (26th). We now have an excess <,f rah,
which is disastrous to wheat, and if it continues long destroyed will be injurious to
cotton. Corn looking well. Wheat has not been by bud worm
They have been worse than usual, necessitating cam^Never much replanting Mstrv All
other crops normal condition.—J. J. B. I in the of
farming were the nrosuects flatteiW 7. J o
more needed ^Sts^oTsTnce
Had a splendid rain the 26th, ’ which was badly 3 first season
z&xzzz, lant«i t v « - r . ,,, since
n ,,
of corn bad from bud worms, but the fanners are weR Tp w ith t^eir to hit t I
buying less on time.-M. R. R. What is called the " bud worm”
supplement.
damaged corn to a great extent. Some fields almost required to be
replanted with plow. More guano sold than any previous year. Reason:
Oats and wheat being killed, the land was plowed up and put in cotton
seed, as it was too late to plant corn; consequently it required more guano,
and therefore a larger acreage is planted in cotton.—8. C. C. Clayton.—
We have just had a fine growing season. Crops of corn and cotton are
looking very well. Good stands of cotton. Corn has been injured some
by bud worms. Wheat almost worthless. Oats about half crop. A. 1 . A.
The average for corn lias fallen off several points since last month, on
account of the bud worms. I never knew them so bad before. No rust in
oats. Wheat has the rust badly.-W. P. J. Columbia .-Crops of com and
cotton in good condition. I have never seeu them better. Farmers are
cheerful and jubilant over prospective good prices for cotton. Rains have
been gentle and enough to date.-J. Q. S. Coweta .-Seasons have been
good. Farmers well up with their work. With negro labor, cotton is our
only "diversity” of crops, with guano only for a fertilizer.—W. F. S.
Cotton is generally looking very well, and corn also. There is more plant¬
ed al ,d more guano used, and the preparation generally better. The out¬
look for a promising crop is very flattering. There has been less rain than
usual during the spring months. Provisions, meat and corn, are cheap.
Labor scarce, and not to be relied on generally. Money scarce, rates of
interest high, and more especially to those who are in need of help. The
early oats (MeCollough’s) are not ripe yet ; sown 22d February, will be ripe
by the 10th of June.—W. A. S. DeKalb .-Farmers in fine spirits. Corn
and cotton doing well. Fine rains. Wheat a failure. Oats sown since
the freeze as good as the ground can make them. Everything on a booim
Railroads coming, land on a boom, and the farmers aie going to say who
goes to the Legislature from this county for the first time in years.—W.
H. C. Douglass .—Cotton is as near a perfect stand as I ever saw; looks well.
Corn is damaged by hud worm. 1\ heat is the nearest a failure I ever saw.
More millet sown than usual. Farmers are working hard, though a few
days behind. Has been raining 24 hours now.—W. H. N.. Elbert.—
The wheat crop is almost a total failure. But little more than enough for
seed will he harvested, and that unfit for milling purposes.—J. L. T.
Fayette .—Cotton and com are flourishing. Oats and wheat are almost a
failure. Peaches have fallen off through May until there are very few left
on the trees. Can you give a remedy for blight in apple trees?—W. S. M.
Corn and cotton looking well and clean. Farmers hopeful. Sale of West
ern corn oft 50 per cent. Peach and apple crop poor. Grape crop promis
ing. Let us take a little wine for our stomach’s sake, etc. As for "peach
and honey,” they have gone up “Salt river.”—Q. C. G. Cotton crop a
little late, though in good condition and growing rapidly. Corn looking
well. Gardens fine. Outlook favorable. Labor generally sufficient, and
doing fair service. The Alliance has done a good work for the country,
anG will ne a success Tl it win only Keep out tit politics. If tfiey go into
that, they will split the Democratic party and prove a failure.—I. G. W.
Where oats were not killed by freeze in March, they are an average crop.
All varieties have the rust, but the damage will be slight. Wheat, as a
rule, will not pay for harvesting. However, there is some tolerable fair
crops. The present outlook for corn and cotton is very flattering.—J. G. P.
Fulton .—The bud worm lias been very destructive to corn, and in most
parts of the county we have been unable to get anything like a stand from
first planting. Have had to replant several times, and in some cases
plowed up whole fields and planted over again.—G. M. f . Greene, harm
ers are up with their work, and in better condition financially than they
have been since 1875. The Davis cold-drouth and rust-proof oats are a
complete failure; ruined by the rust. What is the best winter grass, how
and when to plant it? I mean grass that grows during the winter months.,
—A. N. A. Apples and pears are suffering more from blight this season
than I have ever known them. The Seckle is the only pear on my place
that is free from its effects.—C. M. S. Hancock—We are having a season
of rains, and the grass is getting good foothold, but things are looking well.
The wheat is almost a failure, but the oats have greatly improved, and is
very good where the stand is good, and are now being harvested (the fall).
The spring crop will be tolerable.—J. W. C. Plenty rain. Crops in good
condition; growing finely. Outlook promising.—H. L. M. Harris .—Rain
much needed for growing crops. Harvesting of oats fully begun, and rain
would be of little benefit to them. Fall sown oats, except on moist bot¬
toms, promise a welter yieni tlmn tlime mmn in tiir- Bpring. Karmere
fully up with their work, and are still hopeful of a good crop.—J. B. P.
Heard .—I have had to make a guess, without any data, on the melons.
Crops are in fine fix to-day, the 26th; ground too wet to work. The oats
are a worse failure than I ever saw from freezes. The wheat, from some
cause, I can’t tell, has not been healthy from its coming up. I think that
cotton is the best stand 1 ever saw, as a general thing. The bud worms
have cut upland corn worse than any year of my farming; cutting yet.
Apples have made a failure since my May report. Peaches are falling off.
—J. B. W. Henry .—The seasons have been very good. Crops in good
condition. Great demand at this time for more laborers in the fields.—
J. A. C. W. Jones.—The crops of cotton and corn are good. Wheat is
almost a failure. Oats have improved greatly since last report. Farmers
are very well up with work, though labor is a little scarce. The seasons
have been all that could have been desired. Guano is telling finely on the
crops.—J. W. B. Tlie corn, cotton, potatoes and cane, which are the main
crops, are all promising a full yield; are in good condition, and a good sea¬
son in the ground. If the plowman will stand ready to his post and press
his work for the next sixty days, he has every assurance of a bountiful
yield; will be able to meet his creditors with a pleasant face, and thank
God for the blessings.—R. T. R. Lincoln .—Tlie county has been blessed
with fine seasons, and crops of all kinds bid fair to make good yields.—
J. M. 1). McDuffie .—The seasons very propitious for all growing crops.
Oats improved 25 per cent, or more since last report. Cotton fifteen days
in advance of last year; corn the same. Farmers well up with their work,
and spirits buoyant.—A. E. 8. Meriwether .—I am afraid tlie fruit crop
will be a failure. The few peaches on the trees are falling off. I have seen
no apples.—R. M. McC. Monroe.—Beautiful rains, with excellent pros¬
pects. Corn and cotton considerably thinned by cut worms. Some sec
tions were visited the 18th by a considerable hail storm, which, thanks
unto Providence, lasted only a few minutes. Apple and pear trees continue
to shed their fruit, and fruit trees continue to die. Very few healthy on es
to be found. It was the cold that did the work.—K. C. T. Morgan .—Our
small grain a comparative failure, but corn and cotton looking better and
in better condition than I ever saw them.—J. T. N. We have lately had
fine rains. Crops are doing well, but people are behind with chopping; a
good many not yet through. With fair weather now we will be all right.
—G. D. P. Oglethorpe .---People generally are well up with their work.
Oat crops are fine. The outlook generally is better than usual at this *ea
son.—J. J. G. We plant no watermelons only for home use, but make
good ones. Half acre usually will supply large family. The wheat crop
wus largely injured by fly and rust aud a great many farmers
plowed it up. Cotton, better stand than usual, and in fair condition, but
heavy rains now falling may cause grass and weeds to destroy it.—J. McW.
Pike .—Cotton is in fine condition. Corn is backward, and is about 20 per
cent, below an average.—J. W. M. Crop prospects are fine. Corn never
better. No wheat or oats, except a few patches of oats on good land.—
J. A. W. Putnam .—A strong decoction of wild cherry bark has proved
very efficacious in hog cholera in some portions of this county.—O W R
Recent rains have retarded farm work, causing some grass. ‘ Extra labor
is scarce and high. Crops, however, are fine, especially corn, where it has
l.eeu worked. Farmers are cheerful, and are buying less on credit than
they have for many years.-J. T. D. Rockdale .—Plenty of rain this week.
Labor very scarce, and becoming more unreliable every year. Farmers
will have to rely on themselves, and plant less and manure and cultivate
better, and let (’uftee go. The orchards of peach trees are dying very rap
idlj with tlie yellows. P. H. \\ . Fruit trees are yet throwing off their
fruit. Mulberries and grapes, a full crop. Other fruits injured.—J. B. K.
Taliaferro. For three weeks or more we have had good seasons. Cotton
has come up remarkably well, and everything is growing off admirably.
1 he laud has, however, been too wet to work much of the time, and in
consequence, farmers are behind with their business. Not much wheat
was sown in this section, and what was sown has been badly damaged.
Spring oats, if not sown too late, are pretty good. Our fine rains have put
gardens on a boom.-L. L. V. Stand of corn injured by tlie bud worm.
Growth of cotton has been checked by cool nights; plants small but
healthy. Early sown grain almost destroyed by fly and rust in
fall and winter. My early sown rye was ruined by rust in December,
