Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-11-04
Agricultural Report.

THE Department of a Agriculture has pre-
pared a digest of The reports upon the con-
dition of the crops for October, from which
the following is extracted :: ii''" i'.rs s.la -
The wheat crop Of 1870, in a majority of
States, and especially in those in which
this cereal isparamount, is less in quantity
than the crop of 1869, which was very
large one, notwithstanding the assertion
byssome croakers to the contrary. The re-
duction is due first, to the loss Of plants by
an unpropitious season for termination and
early growth of the winter variety, follow
ed by an open and somewhat variable win
ter, and, second, to the drought which pre-
vailed with great severity in the Northern
and Eastern States. This reduction as aver
aged from our local returns, appears to be
about "A per cent. 3 The average quality of
the crop is better than that of 1859 THE
Pacific coast reports are variable. Some
counties in California make the quality SUI
perior, while others report injury from
rust, and inferiority from the maturity of
grain blighted by drought. The early sown
fall and spring grain of Oregon is good,
| while that late sown was injured by the ex
| cessive heat of summer. Among the win
ter varieties which have succeeded best, the
| Tappahannock is prominently named 1t
is fayorably mentioned throughout the
South and West, and has done well among
| the mountains of Utah. a
The corn crop of 1870, unlike those of
the two years preceding, is a full one, and
the best one of the past ten years. The
| States of the great corn region, including
those bordering on the great lakes,an on the
Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, have, without
exception, made rather fuller crop. Intel
4igent' men estimate the total product at
250,000,000 bushels. -
In Illinois, rye gives somewhat smaller
| yield than in 1862 Oats are not generally
SO productive as last year, except in the
South. grr -rr c7 yTesr
In Michigan and New Jersey, the aggre-
gate product of barley appears less than in
| 1862 The only States yielding full crops
of buckwheat are Tennessee, Kentucky,
Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Kan
sas and Nebraska. The aggregates are less
than usual. -.
/ Reports about beans and peas indicate an
average production in quantity and in
quality, with some local variability The
pea crop, which is one of great importance
to the South, has occupied larger acreage
than formerly in North Carolina, Georgia
and Tennessee, but has been somewhat
neglected in the other Cotton States. Po-
tatoes exhibit considerable reduction in
| yield, which is below an average in all the
Atlantic States to Virginia, inclusive and
in all the Western States north of the
Ohio River, the depreciation ranging from
Is to A per cent. 1e @
The sweet potato cropis comparatively a
large one, while the average of sorghum is
not very large. The crop is in superior
condition, and promises a yield of syrup of
fine quality. The increase in the breadth of
cotton was estimated in July at 10 per cent.
Combining the elements ofacreage planted
and its condition on the list of October, the
ufalexpectation, other circumstances be-
ing equal, would lead to an increase by COM
parison with last yearas follows: North Car
DINA, Is per cent. South Carolina, 8 Geor-
gia, 3; Florida, 8; Alabama, s; Mississippi,
10 iLOuisiana, 10; Texas, 30; Arkansas, Is;
Tennessee, 1. This would give crop ex-
ceeding three and half million bales. But
the indications of the season thus far since
I October !, and the probabilities ola fayora-
BILE autumn for maturing and picking the
stop CROP do not prognostcate return of
the remarkably favorable experience of the
season. The present crop vigorous in early
growth, running to weed rather than boil,
then burned with drought in August, and
subsequently flooded with rain in Septem-
Der, has endured vicissitudes tlnfavorable to
continued fruitfulness, as general shedding
of forms and occasional rotting of the boil
at last The boil worms and army worm
have been at work in places, and rust is
more or less prevalent in all the cotton
States The opening of the later bolls is
unusually well advanced in most places, and
the last picking promises to be light. These.
Indications instead of pointing to an in
crease Of third of million bales, render 4
it probable that the present crop will be no
larger than the last, and, if the remainder of
the season should be very unpropitieus, a
reduction of a. quarter of a million bales
might result Another month or two will
determine whether the present crop shall be |
limited to three million bales or rise to
threesarld a half millions, as predicted early
in the season. The present area, in cultiva-
ton has reduced the price to fifteen cents
per pound, or to the very verge of profitable
cultivation, and correspondents are already
reporting the ruin of planters, who grow
eetton exclusively, and buy all their agricul-
tural supplies.
A large increase in the produce of cane
sugar is regarded as certain
There is, comparatively, large surplus of |
early wheat in Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa
Kansas, and ebraska, and as much asusrlai
in Ohio Indiana and Kentucky, and the
small States. There is no evidence of any
large surplus to add materially to theysuip-
plies Of the year. * = = -
The supply of fattening cattle is some |
What in excess Of former years, with great |
local variation.
'A =. Harvesting Corn. |