108 



Lack of winter protection caused severe injury in Delaware. 



South of j\larylaud and Virginia little wheat is p^rown, and rye mainly 

 for winter ])astufes. A selection from returns Vv'ili represent the con- 

 dition of winter jjrain : 



. Maryland. — Queen Anne : Tlie winter has been very hard on wheat, 

 the growing seasQn of last fall having ceased on the 1st of December. 

 Fertilizers were very extensively used, and wheat seeded on or before 

 October 10, with a liberal supply of fertilizer, and on properly drained 

 land, has raade a rapid improvement witliin the last few days, and now 

 looks quite promising. When ground was not x-^'operly drained, or 

 wheat seeded late, it still presents a poor appearance. It may not, how- 

 ever, be so badly hurt as its ]>resent apparent condition would seem to 

 inciicate, as tlie season is very backward, and the liest wheat is no fur- 

 ther advanced than it should liave been hj March 1st after passing 

 through an ordinary winter. I will add that the Fultz wheat you sent 

 me has wintered well and promises to be a valuable acquisition. Wash- 

 infftnn : Wheat has looked badly, owing to dry fail and severe wint-er, 

 but is improving rapidly now. The Fuitz wdieat received from the De- 

 partment last fall, although sown late, looks remarkably well. Consid- 

 erable has been sown from seed procured in Pennsylvania, and gener- 

 ally looks much better than other varieties, Harford : Loolcf? worse 

 than for many years; fly last fall and winter-killed. Cecil : Many fields 

 ruined by fly last fell, and very severe winter ; little snow. . Carroll : 

 Yery unfavorable . Early-sown grain suftered from Hessian fly, while 

 dry weather and the severe winter have bleached the plant. Talbot : 

 Wheat looking badly. Fly in the fall and frost in winter. 



YiBGiNiA : — Kinfj and Queen : 1 never saw wheat or rye in worse con- 

 dition. These crops, as well as oats, have so diminished in product 

 as to render the return of seed doubtful. There were many instances 

 last year of a product loss than the amount of seed sown, and the present 

 crop i^romises no better. Highland : Looks very badly, showing only 

 dead blades above ground. Henry : The winter has been unusually 

 severe and there has been more snow in March than ever before known. 

 Vyheat-Seids look naked, but the roots appear sound and the plants 

 liearchy. Washington : Wheat worse than for many years. Dry 

 weather all the fall, and from December to JMarch. Chesterfield : Back- 

 ward, but a remarkably good stand. The Fultz wheat received from the 

 Department last fall was seeded with great care and i"»romises well. 

 Craig : Freezing has continued to within a few days. Henrico : Ee- 

 markably fine. Fall late and wet enough to give a good start. Bath : 

 Injured by liard freezing and so small an amount of snow in early win- 

 ter. Ciilpcpcr : Fields looic bare and unpromi.sing from freezing and 

 thawing in March. My Touzelle wl.eat received from the Agricultural 

 Departmeiit three years ago looks about twenty per cent, better than 

 the Fultz, California, or Lancaster, sown at the same time and under 

 equally favorable circumstances. The Scotch rye sent fi'om the Depart- 

 ment last fail also looks very well. Flnranna : Looks backward, but is 

 not winter-killed, having been protected by continued snows. Fredoich : 

 Wheat better than average, scarcely winter-killed at all, but the present 

 cold, dry weather is unfavorable. GloueeMer : Generally looking badly; 

 that late sown inuch frozen. Roclchridge : Looks better now than in'' 

 January and February. The snows of March seem to have infused new 

 life into it and a fair crop is x>romised. Montgomery : Wheat below an 

 average in appearance, especially late sown ; but it is not winter-killed 

 and may make a good crop. RocJdngham : Looks well; the dry stat^ot 

 the ground prevented ranch injury from fros.t. Louisa : Iso rye raised. 



