The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-23
Our Crop Prospects.
w. w.

The Agricultural Bureau at Washington have
commenced the publication Of statistics aud es-
Inmates concerning the growing crops, which, ii
reliable, will prove to be of marked public in
teres. and utility. AS yet We must take them
on faith, as it will be some years before the ma
chInery can be perfected to get reliable estimates
of the growing crops from all the counties Of
all the states of the Union.
We have before us circular from this Blu
reau giving the amount and condition of all the
crops as they appeared during the month Of
May last, Of course, blight, rust, insects or
drought may put a different face upon the eSti-
mates before harvest time, but the results given
are in some respects curious, and We propose to
summarize them for the benefit Of our readers
Is appears that notwithstanding the war there
has been very large increase in the amount Of
land put under cultivation. Should the present
promise Of the harvest hold good the very
heavy crops of last year will be largely increased
this year. We will have more winter wheat,
rye, corn, oats, potatoes, sorghum, and cotton;
and as large crop of spring wheat and grass.
The exceptions to this rule are those states
which are ravaged by war kentucky for instance
Western Virginia and Maryland. Ohio is also
behind the promise of last year, doubtless be-
cause its industry has been diverted ron agricul-
ture to manufacturing, process which has been
gong on for years, and which the war IS render
ing more marked Thequiet of the past spring
in Missouri has been improved by the farmers,
who have sowu largely of all the products pecu-
liar to tina. state.
The most striking increase this year will be
in northern grown cotton and sorghum. There
are four acres of cotton planted in the Northern
States tnls year where there was one last year.
Among the states growing cotton are Minnesota
and Michigan. We do not understand how this
plant can thrive in such northern ATTITUDES,
but he agricultural department gives eompar-
ison between the average of this year and last
which shows that the experiment has been tried
and has succeeded. In Illinois eight acres of
c)tton have been planted where one a3re was
asst year in Kansas the increase is nine-iold,
and In Indiana double. Kentucky and Missouri
will also double their product. No data is Civ
en- OF the number of acres put under cultivation
or the probable product but no matter how
successful, the yield cannot make an appreca-
bic difference in the. cotton supply of the
world.
But the most important increase will be in
the growsh Of sorghum. Last year the people
of the Northwest IN great measure dispensed
vita the molasses and syrup OF the tropical
sugar cane, but this year there is prospect that
they will not only have enough for the home
market bat will be able to send some of it East.
AS vet there has not beer much sugar made
from this home prodect, but there is every rea-
son to believe that before three years pass away
enough sugar and molasses will be prodaced in
the North to make Us independent Of Havana
and New Orleans.
So far the promise of all the CROPS is excellent
In spite of the waste of war no nation like
ours can be poor when industry is undisturbed
and the earth yields abundantly New York
Wor!S.