498 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. JULY 30 
from Philadelphia*westward. However pleas¬ 
ant eternal summer may be, and a land where 
the orange tree blooms, etc., yet the Nor tie 
the cold, bleak North, is the home of power, 
physical, mental and moral. The South has 
unquestionably a great future, but Northern 
capital and Northern energy will have a largo 
hand in determining it. 
Poor as Georgia looked to be, it bred 
thoughts of home, for there I saw for the first 
time the golden face of the dandelion, the 
elegant hepatica and the modest blue beauty 
of what in Pennsylvania we call “Quaker 
Lady.” At Atlanta the “Three Fishers” part¬ 
ed company—Anaximander goiug down into 
Central Florida to look after the welfare of an 
orange grove, while the laddie and 1, spent 
with much journeying, continued our north¬ 
ward way. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Arizona, 
PnOENix, Maricopa Co.. July 8.—No corn, 
oats, rye or buckwheat. Wheat, and barley 
good, but only half the acreage of other years. 
Potatoes good, acreage the same. No root 
CrOps; garden vegetables good. Orchard 
fruits good, aud acreage very largely increas¬ 
ing every year. Peaches and apricots a fail¬ 
ure this year for the first time. Apples, pears, 
figs and grapes, a good crop prospect. One 
firm has planted (100 acres of raisin grapes 
the past spring; many others are planting 
largely. Oranges,lemons aud other semi-trop¬ 
ic fruits do well, and are being planted in 
large orchards. Alfalfa is th“ only hay and 
pasture plant and the acreage is increasing 
fast; 3 T ields three to four cuttings of two aud 
tons each. All crops are grown by irriga 
tion. F. s. o. 
Colorado. 
Denver, Arapahoe Co., July 14.—Crops in 
this vicinity vary very much, owing to the 
want of water for irrigation by some of the 
farmers. We have water enough for all if it 
was equally distributed; but our water com¬ 
missioners are not practical men in the busi¬ 
ness. We have had frequent showers here in 
some localities, and in others there has been 
no rain to amount to anything for two 
mouths. In my immediate vicinity there are 
very good crops of wheat, corn and oats 
which are about au average as compared with 
former years, while there is a large increase in 
Alfalfa and clover, Vegetables of all kinds 
are looking well, and promise a good yield. 
Strawberries have done very well this year, 
but there was not enough to supply the de¬ 
mand. C. T. 
Canada. 
Middleton, Nova Scotia, July 12.— 
Throughout the Annapolis Valley the hay 
crop is about up to the average. Corn and 
wheat but little grown. Oats and potatoes 
extensively cultivated and very promising. 
The apple crop here is our leading one. This 
is supposed to be considerably below an 
average, the Noupariel variety—the chief 
late shipping to England—being but a very 
small crop. Small fruits, where unprotected, 
suffered severely from our chaugeahle winter 
aud want of snow; but where carefully man¬ 
aged the crop is turning off well, considering 
the lack of rain for the last fortnight. I shall 
have 12,000 imperial quarts of strawberries 
from less than three acres. G. C. M. 
Viola Dale, Man., July 8.—The area for 
wheat has increased largely during the last 
five years. This year we have had everything 
we could want—a splendid seed-bed and con¬ 
tinual showers when needed. The outlook is 
the best for five years: the average will be 
from 20 to 80 bushels to the acre. Oats a fine 
crop, from 4U to 70 bushels per acre. Barley 
about 40 bushels. These are our main crops. 
Com is rarely grown, except in gardens, but 
what little there is looks well. Rye but little 
grown, though the acreage is increasing 
yearly. Roots, only enough for home con¬ 
sumption, which also applies to garden vege¬ 
tables and small fruits. A small amount of 
Timothy is grown, but most of us depend on 
the prairie hay, which is splendid. I tried the 
Rural’s trench-mulch system for potatoes ou 
a small scale this year, and at present they 
lead anytbiug I have ever seen; if the yield is 
as great as it promises my neighbors will try 
it next year. The Rural is a great boon to 
me and is road with increasing interest every 
week. S. w. M. 
Cornwall, Ontario, July 15.—Corn not 
much planted here, but good for the area 
planted. F^ll and spring wheat good. Oats 
very good. Barley aud buckwheat very fair. 
Potatoes aud all root crops promise will. Gar¬ 
den vegetables fair. Strawberries have been 
a rather short crop, owing to curly drought 
about blossoming time. Wild raspberries, 
picked by the Indians, very plentiful. ^Apples 
a short crop, as this is the off year. Hay 
promises to be of excellent^ quality, but a 
shorter crop than usual. Our farmers are 
agitating strongly for commercial union. The 
Ru ual is better than ever. Success to it! 
W. S. T. 
St. Mauy’s, Outario, July 12.—The outlook 
for crops around here is good. Fall wheat is 
below the average; very little spring wheat 
grown around us. Oats, barley and peas arc 
looking splendid. Potatoes are looking well; 
so are the root crops. Ilay about the aver¬ 
age; will almost all be saved this week. Or¬ 
chard fruits will bo below the average; 
especially winter apples. g. b. 
Illinois. 
Aledo, Mercer Co., July 18.—The weather 
has been very dry in this region for a long 
time. Except some half a dozen fair showers 
within the last few weeks, we have bad uo 
rain to amount to anything for over a year. 
Corn never looked better at this time of the 
year. Wheat, rye aud oats are light. Po¬ 
tatoes will not make half a crop. A great 
many meadow's are not worth the cutting. 
Pasture fields are scorched. Water is very 
scarce and stock are suffering. There is very 
little fruit of any kind. J. R. w. 
Rock Island, Rock Island Co., July 12.— 
The outlook for corn is much above the aver¬ 
age—has not been better for twenty years. 
The area is about as usual. Potatoes, au in¬ 
creased area; prospect above the average. 
Oats an increased area, but the yield is not 
more than ono-half. Wheat, rye and barley 
not much raised; yield below the average. 
Hay crop very poor; pastures almost barren. 
Small fruits below an average. No cherries; 
but few apples. Garden vegetables are in 
about the usual condition. We have had fre¬ 
quent light showers lately which will improve 
the condition of everything in this immediate 
neighborhood. n. D. 
Salem, Marion Co.—Corn is a full average, 
and looks well for this time of the year. 
Some chinch bugs are ou it. If wo have a 
good supply of i ain the prospect is good for a 
good crop. The run of wheat was less than 
an average aud most of it was badly dam¬ 
aged by late frosts and chinch bugs. It is all 
cut: quality not good. Oats more than an 
average put in aud there w’ould be a large 
yield had the stand not been damaged by the 
chinch bug. Very little rye is ever raised 
here; but the crop is an average oue for this 
section as to quality and quantity. Potatoes 
an average area aud looking well. Garden 
vegetables as usual. Apple crop short. Hay 
aud pasture grass an average. Very little 
clover seed is raised in (his couuty. The 
yield will be a full average. Wo have raised 
poor crops here for the past few years; conse¬ 
quently the farmers are generally badly in 
debt. This is quite a good place to raise grass 
and is better adapted to stock raising than to 
anything else. The wheat and oat crops are 
so badly damaged by chinch bugs that but 
little wheat will be put iu this fall. Notone 
farmer in ten will sow any at all. Chinch bugs 
have damaged the corn very much, and un¬ 
less we have plenty of rain I am of the opin¬ 
ion but very little corn will be raised this 
season. G. H. w. 
Indiana. 
Salem, Washington Co., July 16.—Some 
wheat has been thrashed indifferent parts of 
the county; quality good; nearly au average 
with five years. Oats aud grass will be half 
crOps. The grass, on some of the poor up¬ 
lands won’t run over 80 per cent, of a crop, 
while, on some lowlands on creek bottoms, it 
will run 100. The drought still continues. 
The outlook is very poor at present for half a 
crop of corn. If it continues dry aud hot 
oue week more, half a crop of corn won’t be 
raised in this couuty. Pastures are dry; 
ponds of water are getting low', but stock has 
to drink such water ns stagnates in them. 
Sheep are falling off in flesh, owing to the 
dry, hot weather. Lambs are selling here at 
3X cents a pound. _ e. w. 
Iowa. 
Dubuque, Dubuque Co., July 12.—Hay is 
about 60 per ceut. of a crop. Early potatoes 
about half a crop, aud unless we have pleut. / 
of rain within a few days, the late potatoes 
will be but half a crop. Corn is liu.\ and 
farmers are rejoicing accordingly. Oats, 
wheat, bat Ie 3 r and rye are a little short, owing 
to the continued drought we have had. Rasp¬ 
berries and blackberries will not make 50 per 
cent, of a crop. Currauts and gooseberries 
are short. There is a good prospect for a 
large crop of grapes. We wuut lots of rain 
for late cabbage, or else we will have none, 
unless we haul water, as we did lust year. 
N, C. P. 
Lima, Fayette Co., July 9,—We had very 
dry weather last fall and this spring. Huy 
is not half a crop. Spring wheat looked 
good, but the chinch bugs have killed it aud 
are now taking the oats aud some of the corn. 
The latter looks good—what has not been rno- 
lested.by the bugs. p. e. j. 
Osage, Mitchell Co., July 14.—We are suf¬ 
fering on account of the long-continued 
drought. Indeed wo have had no rain to fill 
the water channels above or below the surface 
this spring. Some very light showers have 
fallen iu uneven sections of the country, but 
not enough to break the terrible drought 
that has been on us for more than a year. Our 
com is suffering less than an 3 'thing else. A 
report comes in that the wheat, barley and 
oat ci’ops have been damaged by^ the chinch 
bugs and that the corn is likely to be injured 
by this pest. As a consequence of the drought, 
the hay crop must be very light. Prices have 
not changed of late. Rumors from the entire 
State and adjoining States give a deplorable 
account of the condition of the crops on ac¬ 
count of the drought and extremely hot 
weather, 98 degrees in the shade to-da 3 r . 
L. s. K. 
Des Moines, Polk Co., July 14.—I have to 
change my crop report for June; for the past 
four weeks of severe drought have made a 
wonderful change on some or most crops. We 
had the last weeks of June aud first two of 
July very hot aud dry weather. Ou July 11 
ami 12 tho thermometer registered as high as 
100 degrees iu the shade, which was death and 
destruction to much vegetation. On these 
da 3 r s thousands of sweet com tassels were 
cooked as dry os if they hail been baked in a 
stove oven. Ou tho evening of the 12th fine 
showers fell in this section ami have continued 
since, and have brought new hopes and thou¬ 
sands of elad and thankful hearts. These 
rains came at almost the eleveuth hour for 
us so the following are the estimates for a Ju¬ 
ly report. Acorn reduction of at least 15 per 
cent, from June, owing to drought aud chinch 
bugs, which were driven from wheat fields ou 
to the coru crop. The corn is very promising 
and these showers pretty nearly assure a fiuo 
crop. It is so well advanced that many fields 
are now silking. M 3 r June estimate of 90 on 
oats will hold good Oat harvest iu full pro¬ 
gress. My estimate of 85 for early potatoes I 
will have to bring down nearly one-half—40 
per cent. I consider a full estimate. Early 
potatoes are matured and we know what 
there is. Late potatoes ma 3 r make half a crop 
yet. I will bring down ruy garden vegetable 
estimate of 50, 10 per cent., making 40 fully 
large enough. Hay nearly all harvested and 
15 per cent, better than my June estimate (20. j 
Stock water scarce. f. s. w. 
Kamai. 
Howard, Elk Co., July 1.—Corn is mostly 
in silk and tassel and with the abundant rain¬ 
fall of to-day promises a large shield. Pota¬ 
toes, root crops and garden vegetables were 
never better. Small ami orchard fruits, 
gooseberries excepted, are average crops. Ha 3 r 
and pasture grafts not excelled in past five 
years. Wheat and oats have been much in¬ 
jured by chinch bugs; but little sown. 
Louisiana. 
Norwood, East Feliciana Parish, July 10. 
—The corn crop iu this soctiou is fair— 
will yield about 20 bushels per acre; a larger 
area planted than last year. Oats almost a 
failure owiug to drought in April. Where the 
earlier varieties of potatoes were planted the 
3 'ield was ver>' light, but later varieties did 
well Sweet potatoes are good. Apples aud 
tigs are plentiful, but peaches are rotting and 
ripening at the same time. There is about au 
average area planted in cotton, the main crop 
here, which is very promising. There has 
been a greater amount of fertilizer used in 
this vicinity this year than ever before. Gar¬ 
den vegetables arc very tine. H. s. 
Welsh, Culcasieu Parish, July 20.—This 
parish has been until lately a cattle section. 
Northern immigrants have transformed it into 
a beautiful farming country. Real farmiug 
work is mostly experimental yet. We have to 
find out whut we can raise here, but hope to 
produce most all the Northern aud Southern 
produ ts. The crops that grow at present, 
(co 1 a, sweet potatoes, genuine sugar-cane, 
ri ;e, etc.), look splendid. We can sow and 
raise crops aud vegetables the whole year 
round. Old settlers have ripe peaches and 
figs in abundance. Some Immigrant settlers 
have very fine ripe grapes. This will, in fu¬ 
ture, bean excellent country for fruit. Low¬ 
est temperature iu tho shade in June, 71 de¬ 
grees; highest, 91. Lowest in July, 76; high¬ 
est, 94. Always a fine Gulf breeze. 8. K. 
Mich I gnu. 
Glenn, Allegau Co., July 13.—Corn average 
area; looking better than in average years on 
account of unusually hot weather. Wheat 
area aud yield below the average. Potatoes 
injured by drought. Gats au average crop. 
Hay below average iu quantity, but of excol- 
leut quality. Apples an average crop. Our 
main industry here is raising peaches of which 
we anticipate au immense crop. Picking uf 
early varieties will begin in about two weoks. 
Borries of all kinds are very abundant. 
H. B. 
Glenn, Allegan Co., July 12.—Our special¬ 
ty for profit here is peach growing. Our 
peach belt will average 8x25 miles, of which 
all the available land is setto trees. The crop 
is the largest ever grown, and the prospects for 
fine fruit were never better at a correspond¬ 
ing season. Our chief market is Chicago; 
our fruit is sent over by boat on Lake Michi¬ 
gan—average distance 108 miles. The apple 
erop is a fair one. Small fruits good. Corn 
never better. Potatoes and oats a little short. 
So far we have not bad much rain. n. e. e. 
Minnesota. 
Minnesota City, Winona Co., July 10.— 
The chinch bugs have been with us for several 
years and have done more or less damage to 
spring wheat in dry seasons; but never before 
have they bad so good a chance to develop as 
in the past few months. Formerly winter 
wheat, (very little raised here), and barley 
were ripe before the bugs hatched ami could 
be harvested without damage from them, but 
this season tho pests were ready for the wheat 
as soon as it was in the dough stage. All 
spring wheat iu this county that was not cut 
for hay when green had all the juice sucked 
out by the bugs before the beads had time to 
fill. Many farmers have cut their barley 
for feed aud are doing the same with oats. 
The bugs never before harmed the oats, and 
seldom did much damage to corn,but this year 
they promise to ruin both. Usually the bugs 
go but a short distance into a field of corn, 
owing to the shade made by the stalks; but 
this year there are so tnauy of them that they 
will probably take it all. Tho corn which 
they attacked first is already wilting and fall¬ 
ing to the ground. A great change can be. 
noticed in 24 hours. There seems to be no 
way of fighting them. „ ,r. m. d. 
R. N.-Y.—To show how numerous the bugs 
arc in his corn-field our correspondent sent us, 
in a tin vessel, a piece of corn-stalk together 
with the bugs that clung to that particular 
section. Some, however, had dropped off 
while he was cutting the stalk. The section 
W'as 3)t, inches long nod the can contained 
over 8(H) bugs, many of which were yet alive. 
Most of them had congregated at oue cml of 
the stalk,which wus literally black with them. 
For a remedy for the pests see “Remedy for 
Chinch Bugs” under “What Others Sa 3 \” 
Winona, Wiuoua Co., July 9.—The area 
and outlook for crops iu this section are about 
as follows: Corn about 100; condition, 100; 
spriug wheat, 70; condition, 25; winter 
wheat, 100; condition, 75; oaks. 110, condition, 
70; barley, 100; condition, 50; potatoes, 100; 
condition, 75; bay, 100; condition, 20, timo¬ 
thy; wild hay, 120; condition, 100; pastures^ 
100; condition, 20 to 80; clover seed, 50; con¬ 
dition, 75; dry weather, 400, condition, 400: 
chinch bugs, 10,000 to sq. foot. Dry weather 
is the cause of the low condition. Bugs are 
lowering it every day. Chinch bugs were 
never 100th part as numerous as this summer. 
Some wheat, barley, oats, rye ami corn they 
have eaten up already. Winona County will 
not have 10 per ceut. of au average crop of 
spring wheat. K. t. h. 
Missouri. 
Fulton, Callaway Co.—Wheat, reduced 
acreage; but a fair crop. Corn, fine prospect; 
acreage, large. Oats, acreage large; moder¬ 
ate crop. H. c. M. 
New York. 
Hume, Alleghany Co., July 10.—Coni is 
looking better than-usual. Winter wheat is 
good and about ready for harvest. Early 
sowed oaks are looking well; pretty dry for 
lute. More potatoes planted this spring than 
usual; looking fair; bugs plenty. Apples set 
well, but dropping off badly. Hay not quite 
an average; pasture fair. Dairying is quite 
a prominent industry. The milk is mostly 
drawn to cheese factories. Some have sold 
their cows and are raising hay for market. 
j. M. 
Itiiaca, Tompkins Co., Jul 3 r 15.—Wheat, 
area, 95 per ceut.; outlook, 70 per cent.; in¬ 
jured by Hessian tly aud joint-worm. Corn, 
area, 100 per cent.; outlook, 105 per cent.; 
clean but wanting rain. Oats, area, 100 per 
cent.; outlook, 98 per cent.; early sown su¬ 
perior; late poor. Rye, area, 110 per cent.; 
outlook, 102 per cent.: lands fail ofteuer tbau 
formerly when sowed to wheat, hence rye cul¬ 
ture is on the increase. Barley, area, 98 per 
ceut.; outlook, 95 per cent.; only raised on the 
best laud in the northern part of the couuty. 
Buckwheat, area, 110 per cent.; outlook, 105 
per ceut.; phosphates are used to quite au ex¬ 
tent for t his crop with marked beneficial re¬ 
sults. Potatoes, nreu, 105 per cent.; outlook, 
95 per ceut.; too dry and ground not rich 
enough for the best results. Root crops, area, 
100 per ceut.; outlook, 95 per cent,; early 
plautcd superior; lute very poor. Hay aud 
pasture, area, liO percent.; outlook, 95 per 
cent.: old meadows injured for lack of late 
rains, many meadows want to bo reseeded aud 
