Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-07-16

CONCERNING caoPS N IONA
nn1se0osson froa she
0eereeasy. ~ che 0eaee Agraco1s
eora1 secaesys
Iowa SrArs AonscursupAL Socx,v.l
SrcRRTAnY's OvvicR,}
Famine. Iowa, Jelly 9, 1856.
M. Enron :-On June goth distributed
b psrsons attending The State Convention,
ssstain eirculasa, making inquiry - to the
condition of the crops II that writing
Froo the replies received the following sta
tistics end estimates are made, which msy
be Of interest to Jour readers.
Very respectfully. &C.,
J. NJ. SNAPPER, Secretary.
Cosx.-In reply to the inquiry. is the
breadth of surface greater or less than Iast
year ?" 80 correspondents ecpresennng %
counties, report It greater, while two report
Il less. Three counties (Montgomery, POLK,
and Story only out Of "a report slight in>
Jury from frost. Twenty correspondents
report some injury 70 the corn crop from un'
favorable season, as backward spring, cold,
vet, dry, failure to come up well, rapid
growth Of weeds, &c. Ten counties men,
ton some loss by deprcdations Of cut -worm;
bat the damage is very uncomfortable. In
answer TO the question, "Has the corn gen.
orally come up well 7" there are 10 negative
replies. Mr.. Dowler, Of Jasper county,
writes; "Corn gathered in the fall and
hung up, (thc only safe plan in Iowa. all
came up well. Seed taken from the crib
failed as usual" And Nr. kirkhsm, Of
Story county, adds: that he never fails with
seed gathered in tho Fall and hung up in .
dry place. lie attributes much Of the fails
ure 10 the neglect Of this practice. These
experiences are well worthy the attention Of
our farmers. The promised yield is put
down At figures ranging from 80 70 30
bushels per acre. All the indications prom
se an increase Of surface, and . large in
crease in tho number Of bushels over last
year.
WINTER Wharf.-The first inquiry, "What
10 the proportion Of injury from Winter
killings" elected tho following: No inju-
~, . correspondents; oil killed, 4; none
sown, 8, half killed, g; three.fourths, 3 /;
one fourth, 3. These figures indicate .
good crop, when the localities from which
they are taken arc considered. Tho surface
sown is greater than ever before, and men
have more confidence in the crop, il we'll put
in, than heretofore. The fly is mentioned
~ injuring tho crop in but two Counties
No mention Is made Of the chinch>bug, the
enemy and pest Of our grain fields has al
most entirely disappeared. Tho average
yield will not, it is estimated, fall short Of
20 bushels per acre.
SrRixo Wharf.-The following varieties
arc mentioned AS being sown: White, ST.
berian, Club, Tea, China and Russian Fife,
Goose, Iowa Amber, Mediterranean, italian,
Scotch Fife, &c. The enumeration OF 10
great . variety Of this grain indicates that
farmers are ready 10 experiment, with the
hope Of securing, At least, something that
will be suitable 10 our soil and climate.
The prospect for good average crop is re.
ported by IS out Of 40 correspondents 40
very promising. There is nothing apprc-
hended from any Of the numerous causes Of
failure that usually operate against the
crop. In answer TO the inquiry, us this
crop generally considered prolitables" there
are IA affirmative replies. One person says:
'Only for home consumption" Another
adds, at is not profitable LIST. Because the
Hour will not command o. high . price by
At least $3.50 to 81 per barrel a. Fall wheat
Hour. I'd. II is more likely to be foul with
oats and other hurtful things and Sd. The
bugs are likely to take it, especially il the
season be dry one. Seven correspondents
say, 1T is not . very profitable CROP" and
IA say cmphatically in answer, mo"
FRuir-" Has fruit been injured by
frost 7" Fifteen reply yes" and twenty
reply "no"-and it is safe to estimate the
loss from this cause as very trifling indeed.
"llas any considerable number Of orchard
trees died this season" Thirty-eight cor.
respondents answer yes" to this question.
Some state the loss Of trees ct one .half,
some At one third, and some express it that
hundreds lave died, and but three coun-
ties report no considerable number OF trees
As having died. This inquiry was made
from the fact that u very Titled observa>
ton would satisfy any one that the loss of
frui. trees in Iowa would be immense. In
some instances nearly all tho trees of an
orchard have died. Inquiry was made as
to the cause. The general reply IS "win>
ter killed, but that is very unsatisfactory,
as former winters were much more severe
than the last, without any such result
One writer suggests that the trees grew too
late in the fall, and were injured by the
first frost; another attributes it to borcrs
and canker worms another says there
was no frost until late in the fall; tho trees
were frozen when full o. sap. The damage 10
very considerable where thctrees have been
highly cultivated, while the injury has been
very light where the orchards have been
sown in grass or have not been cultivated.
Twenty nine counties report some injury
to the fruit by the deprcdatiOns of insects.
and six report no damage. The canker
worm is the worst enemy to tho growing
fruit.
About the same number report . good
crop Of barley, generally giving their prefer.
ence to that sown in the Fall. But little is
used for feeding to horses, hogs and cattle,
most Of II being converted iSto malt.
OArs.--Thirty- seven replies assure good
crop. The average will not be less than 80
bush. per acre. Only two correspondents
use the term mot good" and Sewerage. -
One person complains Of damage from
weeds.
SORGHUM. Eighteen counties report an
increase Of the breadth Of land planted.
while thirteen consider that the number OF
acres is about the same a. last yess.-
Twenty report the prospect for q
crcp a. good. and six do not give an en-.
courage report. Thirty-O ne testify to the
introduction Of improved machinery for
working the cane, while seven report no
such advantage. Several varieties are e.
tsemed-the African, Imphee, Otahsitan,
&C., bat the majority speak most highly Of
Sorghum. The indications are that there
will be large increase Of the product, even
over the enormous crop Of 1865.
Ssins-lt was asked, ''ars there any dis