VOL. XXXVIT. No. 34. 
WHOLE No. 1491. 
NEW YORK CITY, AUG. 24, 1878, 
PRICE SIX CENTS. 
S2.50 PER YEAR. 
Lmierea according to Act oi uoagress. in the year 1878, by the Rural Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
The Corn Crop. 
Reports from Various Parts of The 
Entire Country up to the Hour 
of Going to Press. 
THE FRUIT CROP. 
OTHER CROPS, 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
NEW YORK. 
Crank Him., MadiBon Co., N. Y., Aug. 11. 
Corn in this vioiuity has not as large a growth 
as last year, but it seems to be bearing finely— 
many stalks having three ears, and if the Beason 
is favorable, I see no reason why we cannot har¬ 
vest a good crop. Oats will be light; straw very 
short and badly down ; this not so well headed. 
Potatoes must be light, for the early spring in¬ 
duced many to plant very early, so that many 
pieces were frozen dowu and some of them 
never started again: others started and were 
frozen once more, while some suffered a third 
time from frosts. The ravages of the bug have 
been severe, and rnst has struck the vines more 
or less so that there must be a sharp corner in 
favor of potatoes or the orop must be light. 
Hay was expected to be light on account of 
the frosts, but of late it has improved so that 
some claim a heavier crop than last year. 
Datuv Produce the fore part of the season 
was heavy, but we are shrinking badly the last 
part, ami as the Midland railroad runs through 
this vicinity. New York prices govern us pretty 
much exclusively. 
Apples are not as plentiful in this vicinity 
this year as last, but yet there seems to be 
enough for home oousutnption. 
The Weather has been so wet for the last 
two weeks that not more than four days have 
been without rain, consequently hay and grain 
are not.yot all secured, although both are getting 
over-ripe. About the middle of the afternoon 
on the 8th instant, wo experienced here a heavy 
storm of ruin, the singularity of which was that 
it oamo up in the northwest and most of it 
went south, thou east, then north, then west, 
until it arrived at the point from which it started. 
But its fury was not yet spent, so it followed its 
fit at path until it got into the northeast, where 
it seemed to lull after making one whole circuit 
of the compass and three-fourths of another. 
The first circuit was accompanied with lighten¬ 
ing, aucl nearly every flash was a chain, which 
came directly earthward, striking different ob¬ 
jects quite frequently but doing no damage. 
Now the question Is, why the shower travoled as 
it did, and why the lightening flashes were all 
perpendicular instead of being horizontal as in 
common Bhowers, L P N 
Doe Run, Chester Co., Pa., Aug. 13th, 1878. 
The corn orop in this aud adjacent counties 
will not be equal to last year's crop, and I thiuk, 
will be below an average. During a trip of 80 
miles, last week, I noticed a few pretty good 
fields of corn, and mauy quite thiu and* light. 
be spring was cool and corn made very little 
progress till some time in June, Farmers 
worked their corn reasonably well while young 
aud small, but harvest coming on rather early, 
aiu t le hay and wheat oropH being pretty heavy, 
y the time these were gathered the oat crop 
was ready, so that by the time this was in, the 
com was then too old or forward to work, 
ome few who would have worked their corn in 
arves , found it somewhat blown down just at 
at time by a rain-storm. As but little corn 
therefore got worked any after it was a foot or 
, it is evident the orop is mnch lighter 
than it would have been with additional cultiva¬ 
tion. There was also mnoh complaint of an in¬ 
sect working at the root or of some other un¬ 
known enemy, as some fields were very uneven 
in growth, stalks not over a foot high, yellow 
and “ doucy-looking,” while the next hill in the 
same row would be well up and in tassel. 
As to fruit, the trees of many varieties of ap¬ 
ples are full. There will be a much better crop 
than we had last year, but it will not he equal to 
that of the year before last. Peaches are doing 
but little good in this county; ttmy rotted and 
fell off. The orchards I am acquainted with will 
not produce over a fourth as many peaches as 
last season. Apples below an average. Peaches 
not half a crop. Blackberries abundant. Pears 
an average. Grapes a full orop. t. w, 
Clyde, Wayne Co., N. Y., Aug. 12,1878. 
The prospects of corn crop is good from 
the southern line of Wayne County to the lake. 
Though corn suffered from 10 to 15 days' severe 
drought—the leaves rolling badly, in July, in 
the southern tier of towns—yet there are no 
very poor pieces. The northern part of the 
county did not suffer, and as a whole the orop 
will be an extra good one. The best, 125 bush¬ 
els of ears per acre, probably. 
Notwithstanding the severe attacks of the Fly 
upon Clawson wheat, it is reported to be yield¬ 
ing well, many pieces turning all along between 
30 and 40 bushels per acre, the Lancaster not 
reaching it, though unattached. By sowing one 
bnl. of second-grade salt to the acre, the depre¬ 
dations of the Fly will be prevented, and the 
fertilizing results are exceedingly satisfactory. 
This grade of salt comes at 80c. or 90o. per obi. 
Many acres of barley are destroyed by the Fly, 
Borne pieces which were better than the worst 
were raked up with horse rake without cutting 
with a scythe or machine, as the Hessian had so 
nearly cut it off that it would break. Wheat 
5*1.10; barley @1.10, both rising. Rich extra- 
tilled pieces of barley turned largely. Oats 
good. The Norways aud black varieties are 
again turning out the best, the Probiestier and 
white kinds of oats being behind in yield. 
Apples abundant all over the county; peaches 
very plentiful in northern aud lake towns of 
county; iu southern towns none. Short crop 
of grapes, probably from extra yield last year. 
Little clover seed, very early. It is nearly ripe 
in some fields, but few acres iu county. The 
yield will be good. w. i. d. 
Belmont, Allegany Co., N. Y., Aug. 12 ,1S7S. 
In our valley, corn is exceptionally fine. 
Generally planted from May 20th to June 1st, 
the warm weather, with plenteous aud frequent 
rains, gave it a rapid growth, and, from present 
appearances, it will be above the average. I 
thiuk also that this is equally true with regard 
to this crop generally throughout the county. 
There was a larger acreage of wheat than usual, 
and it generally stood well on the ground, looked 
very promising from early spring throughout 
the season, and was harvested in good con¬ 
dition ; but the general testimony of farmers is 
that we shall be disappointed in the yield—that 
the average will not be over 20 bushels, and 
probably under that. The midge injured it 
some in this locality, and more, as I am advised, 
in the other portions of the conuty. The oat 
orop is thought to be above the average. Barley, 
though formerly cultivated considerably, was 
this year generally left out. An unusually large 
quantity of potatoes was planted, with the ex¬ 
pectation and prospect of a Urge yield ; but we 
have all discovered recently that on this orop 
we have bestowed much labor to little profit. 
The vines, about two weeks ago, began to decay, 
and Bhowed evident signs of disoase—looked as 
though a fire had scorched them. On examina¬ 
tion, I found my Extra-early Vormonts not fully 
grown, many or the vines entirely dead, many 
of the tubers having on them a white substance 
like mold, and some of them well started with 
soft spots. Brownell’a Beauty seems so far to 
have escaped. 
Apples and pears, in the valley, are nearly an 
entire failure—the result of that nipper of a 
frost on the morning of the 6th of June. Cher¬ 
ries, for the same reason, were nearly a failure. 
But on the uplands, all along the valley, there 
is a fair apple crop. h. a. p. 
Martinsburg, Lewis Co., N. Y., Aug. 12 . 
Although this is not strictly a corn-growing 
section, yet the orop bids fair to be more than 
an average one. In fact, it is good for this lo¬ 
cality. The bay orop, like that of last year, is 
superior, but few farmers finding their barns 
sufficiently large to hold the yield. Grain, gen¬ 
erally, is a good growth, but I fear the recent 
rains have done great damage, and much that is 
cut and not gathered, and that is ready to cut 
will be greatly injured. The potato crop is, I 
think, a very poor one, as I see many pieces not 
worth the harvesting. 
Apples are much more plentiful and better 
than last year, although the ground under some 
of tho trees is pretty well covered with “ wormy” 
fruit that has fallen off. 
The great rain on the morning of the 9th has 
done much damage to almost everything unhar- 
vosted. Direct individual losses, too, are con¬ 
siderable, but not so great probably as in many 
sections. All around us we hear of mills being 
swep *, away, barns struck by lightning and con¬ 
sumed, telegraph poles shattered, the low-lands 
flooded, and all are agreed that for rain, light¬ 
ning and thunder-storms, this season is one to 
be remembered, N 
Bedford Station, Westchester Co., N. Y., 
Aug. 12,1878. 
Corn doing finely. I have by a ride through 
the country seen many fine fields. Some of 
them average two ears to the stalk. Fodder 
corn excellent. Rye has turned oat very well, 
but has been somewhat damaged by heavy rains 
which caused it to lay over badly, thus making 
bad cutting. Wheat, which in this section is 
raised only for home use, has turned out mid- 
dling. The oats have yielded very heavy re¬ 
turns, yielding 45 to 60 bushels to the acre. The 
experience of a mau who has seen orops in Eu¬ 
rope, is that he has never seen the like. Hay 
very good The potato orop will, to all appear¬ 
ances, be a failure, the early oueB dying off 
without any apparent cause, the late sorts 
are doing somewhat better. The bugs are not 
so thick as they were last year, a small insect 
has appeared which feeds upon the eggs. 
Apple and pear trees were greatly dam¬ 
aged while in blossom, by the May frost in all 
low-lying places. On high land* the frost af¬ 
fected the trees somewhat, nevertheless the yield 
has been exceptionally large. w . 3 _ 
Wou.kill, Orange Co., N. Y., Aug. 12. 
The corn crop in this section has the appear¬ 
ance of turning out well, but there is very little 
corn or other grain raised in Orange Co. many 
farmers raise none, and the majority but a small 
proportion of what they consume. Making 
milk for the New York market is the specialty of 
Orange Co. farmers, and they purchase a great 
many car-loads of corn and other grain from the 
West. Probably not over three acres to the one 
hundred are plauted with corn. 
Farmers quite generally speak of the wheat 
being out off by the Hessian Fly, and there will 
probably be leas than usual put in this fall. 
Hay has been a very good crop, particularly on 
newly-seeded ground. The apple crop will be 
light so far as seen or heard from. The earth 
has been well watered here thiB season, and 
every thing is in a flourishing condition. 
T. A. M. 
Jimfstown, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. Aug., 12. 
The corn orop in Chautauqua Co., although 
very backward in the early part of the season, 
is now looking well and will, I think, be a full 
average unless we have very early frosts. The 
hay orop is secured in fair condition, although 
the weather has been very unfavorable. The 
yield is above the average. Winter wheat, of 
which there was a large breadth sown, is the 
best it has been for many years. Spring wheat 
nearly a failure. Oats a medium crop. The 
long-continued rains in the spring drowned out 
a good many and the recent Btorms have lodged 
them badly. Of barley but liitle is sown in 
this section, a good average orop. Potatoes will 
be an extremely light orop. They were frozen 
down in the Bpring ana miny fields are a very 
poor stand; vines are small and they have al¬ 
ready commenced dying. Apples a light crop. 
Many orchards that promised well, early in the 
season, are now nearly bare of fruit. The crop 
in this county, I think, will be far below the 
average. w. o. a. 
Burnt Hills, Saratoga Co., N. Y., Aug. 12. 
The prospect of the corn crop in this section 
at present is not very good. In July it was 
growing very finely, but the excessive rains of 
the past two or three weeks have injured it 
very much. I think at present that corn will 
be hardly an average crop. Oats not as good as 
last year, and very much damaged in harvesting 
by heavy rains. Eirly potat es are turning out 
poorly—about half a crop; bat few late ones 
planted. The prospect for apples is good at 
present; the trees are now quite full, but a great 
many wormy ones are dropping off ; early ones 
are very plentiful now. The crop in this section 
will not be as large as two years ago. Pears are 
not abundant—not an average crop. Plums 
about an average crop. j . n . T> 
Garratsville, Otsego Co., N. Y., Aug. 13 . 
Corn was planted earlier than usual in this 
section, but on account of cold weather was very 
backward until the hot days of July came, when 
it pushed forward rapidly, and, unless we have 
an early frost, it will be fully an average crop. 
Mixed farming is tho rule here, nearly every farm¬ 
er raising a little of each variety of crop, and de¬ 
pending principally on dairying as the backbone 
of bis business. Fruit, the small fruits in par- 
ticular, will not be as plentiful as last season ; 
apples about the same on hill farms; they were 
injured by frost to some extent on streams. Hay 
was a very heavy crop ; ali other crops good ex¬ 
cept potatoes, which are likely to be a poor 
or °P- o. B. 
Nunda, Livingston Co., July n, 1373 . 
The corn crop in the low-lands or valleys, has 
a good growth ; but I fear it will be rather late. 
Winter wheat is a very heavy crop around here, 
although those that have thrashed say it does 
not yield very well from the straw. Oats and 
barley middling, not much of the latter sowed 
around here. The apple crop will not be very 
heavy; summer fruits were nearly all destroyed 
by the frost. This has been a very rainy sum¬ 
mer, and we have had a terrible time getting in 
our spring orops and late hay harvest. Wages 
were from @1,50 to @2 50. Q . B . 
Clinton, Oneida Co., N. y., Aug. io, ms. 
The prospect of the com orop is quite good; 
but it is a little backward in maturing, owing to 
the cool weather at the beginning of the season. 
The hay crop has been very abundant. Oats 
very heavy. Wheat aud barley fair. Winter 
wheat better than an average crop. Continuous 
wet weather of late has interfered very seriously 
with harvest work. Potatoes are small, and the 
yield wifi be very light. Apples, about an aver¬ 
age supply. The yield of pears will be light. 
Plums and cherries were almost an entire fail- 
Naples, Ont. Co., N. Y. t Aug. 10,1378, 
The corn crop in this section is the best 1 ever 
saw at thiB time of the year. Putting the aver¬ 
age, during a cones of years at 100, this year it 
is 120, at least, and it is the same with all fann 
products; but some little of the hay aud grain 
has been gathered in bad order on account of 
the hot weather. The fruit orop is light; the 
frost killed it oa the high lands, but the valleys 
