The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-07-15
STANTON VIRGINIA, WEDNESDAY MORNING JULY 15
CONDITION OF THE CROPS.


CONDITION OF THE CROPS.
Colonel Capron, Commissioner of Agricul
ture, has just issued the following report:
Wheat-An increase of acreage is obsel
we'd, in greater or less degree, in nearly ev
cry State The Eastern States show no in
crease Of fall sowing, except per cent. il
Vermont but the enlarged area of sprinI
crops, which are the pain lye' RELIANCE fa
bread supplies, is very marked in Maine an
Vermont; the former showing "a advance Q
26 per cent. the latter Of ld per cent.
very slight movement is shown in this direc
ton by New Hampshire and Massachusetts,
New York indicates per cent increase il
fall acreage, with no change in spring wheat
New Jersey shows an increase Of 8 per cent
Of Wipter wheat. 10 Pennsylvania the acre
age is very slightly enlarged--3 per cent. 70
winter wheat In Delaware a reduction of
per cent. appears while an increase of 9 pc
cent. is shown in Maryland; 1 in Virginia
II IN North Carolina FL in South Carolina
II in Georgia; 10 in Alabama; 81 in Mis-
s;ssippi; 81 in Arkansas 40 ia Tennessee
80 in West Virginia. In Texas q decrease i
shown of per cent, and in Kentucky of
per cent. Spring wheat is not grown in thu
South. a.aa a 'assh G
+ The increased acreage in the West, where
the great bulk Of the wheat crop Of the coun
try is grown, is Of peculiar significance. O.
the States in which winter wheat is mos
largely cultivated, Ohio presents an increase
of per cent. Of that variety Indiana II
per cent, and Michigan II per cent. In por
stions Of these States an unusual effort has
been made to enlarge the area by spring SOW
ing, showing respectively II, IA and 6 pei
cent increase. M 7@f
. In the States which rely mainly upon
spring sown crops, Illinois indicetes an in
crease in that variety of IL per cent Wis.
consin 4 per cent. Minnesota % per cent
Iowa l2 per cent. an increase having been
made also in winter wheat in the same States
with the exception of Wisconsin and Iowa
though in Minnesota the total product of
fall sown wheat is too trifing to be much af-
fected by it. The increase of winter wheat in
Illinois is placed at 10 per cent; in Missou-
ri 30 per cent. in Kansas Is per cont
An analysis of these averages will show a
general average Of about ! per cent. increase
in the fall sowing, and g per cent in the
breadth Of spring wheat altogether an in
crease of Is to 90 per cent. in the aggregate
number of acres in wheat.
The reports of condition, for June, are
generally very favorable. A promise Of the
best crop eyer known is held out by local
correspondents in many places, particularly
west Of the Mississippi; but such drawbacks
as these are occasionally presented, proving
the constant decoration Of wheat lands -
winter grain on new land is looking very
well, but there is large proportion of wheat
sown on old wornout land, poorly managed,
and very light crop will be the result" =
Many washing rains have occurred, and some
complaint Of falling is made The extent Of
this damage. which has been more severe du-
ring the latter part Of the month, is not gen
orally determined.
Many Of the most serious complaints Of
winter killing in Kentucky and Tennessee
have been greatly modified by the subsequent
growth and tillering from roots presumed to
be dead. One Kentucky correspondent says:
II am compelled now to say that l never in
all my lite saw greater outcome in wheat y
and this remark is applied to 81 the counties
west of the Tennessee river.
Damage from rust has been severe in Alb
beyille District, South Carolina, and in Bar
ton county, Georgia; the loss from this cause
will make the crop lighter than for several
years; and more or less complaint is made
throughout Virginia and Maryland Of ap-
pearance of rustupon the blades, which has
affected the stalk but slightly in most eases
and done little damage to the crop. Similal
reports have come from parts Of Ohio and
Kentucky. The weather, which has been SC
vet during the period Of growth, has -gener.
ally been quite propitious as the period fol
ripening approached. aa
It is gratifying to observe that some far.
mers are practising upon the suggestion made
in the February report relative to horse hoe
ing wheat, with wide drill culture and thin
seeding. Our correspondent in Rock county
Wisconsin, is ezperimenting With ten acres
Of spripg wheat, put in with twelvc-toothed
drial at intervals Of eighteen inches, at the
rate Of three pecks Of seed to the acre, to be
carefully cultivated by means of the machine
with which it was planted, used as system
Of hoes, two running in each SPACE between
the drills, the ope used for drilling being fas
tened up.
A 6uo crop Of white Mediterranean anc
Tappahannoek, distributed by the Depart
ment, is reported in Washington county
Mississippi, sown November Il, and rip
June |, promising 35 bushels per acre.
Rye.-Aboat the usual acreage OF rye il
reported. Maine is the only State that fail
to come up to the average; the Middle States
have scarcely the usual breadth and in tn,
West, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas ar,
slightly deficient Iowa falling short s PEI
cent. The other Western States are it'll
in excess Of the usual sowing. The Soutl
shows an averge breadth in this crop.
Barley-Kentucky, Missouri and Mime
sofa have given increased attention to barley
but most of the other States are s;tler slight
ly below the average or barely up to it. TIL
fall sowing was especially deficient in most o
the Western States. but the deficiency wa
generally made up by extra exsrtiona in pre-
pairing for spring crop.
Oats.-An increased area in oats, avera
ging per cent. for the entire country, is re
ported. The States showing the largest pro
portionate ipqPgsea9ge are II order Kansas
Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina, Nebras
ka, West Virginia, Minnesota, Vermont
Kentuckv Iowa South Caro|ina I1l,nnn;c