The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-11-03

Condition Gf the CFOps-R e1BOfts
from the Department Of Agri.
culture.
The Department of Agriculture has
prepared digest of the reports upon
the condition Of the crops for October,
from which the following is extracted:
"The wheat crop for 1870, in ma
jority of the States, and especially in
those where this cereal is prominent, is
materially less in quantity than the
crop Of 1869, which was a very large
one, notwithstanding the assertions Of
some croakers to the contrary. The
reduction is due-frst, to the loss of
plants by an unprOpitiou5 season for
germination and early growth of the
winter variety, followed by an open
and somewhat variable winter; and,
second, to drought, which prevailed
with great severity in the Northern
and Eastern States. This reduction.
as averaged from our local returns,
appears TO be about fourteen per cent.
The average quality of the crop is bet
ter than that of 1869. The Pacific
coast reports are variable. Some coun-
ties ia California make the quality
superior, while others report injury
from rust and i1fetiority from maturi-
ty of the grain blighted by drought.
The early snow, fall and spring grain
Of Oregon is good, while that of the
late snow was injured by the exces-
sive heat of the summer. Among the
winter varieties which have succeeded
best, the Tapbahannock is prominent
ly named. 1t is favorably mentioned
throughout the South and West, and
has done well among the mountains Of
Utah. The corn crop of 1870, tthlikaI
those Of the two years preceding, is
the best of the past ten years. The
States of the great corn region, includ-
ing those bordering on the great lakes
and on the Ohio and Mississippi Riv-
ers, have without exception made faith
er full or large crop. Intelligent
men estimate total product of 25O,-
100000 bushels. In Illinois rye gives
IsOmewhat smaller yields that in 1869. !
Oats are generally not so productive
as last year, except in the South.
In Michigan and New Jersey the
aggregate product of barley appears
less than in 1869. The only States
yielding full crops of buckwheat are
Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Hi
nois, Iowa, Minnesota Kansas and
Nebraska. The aggregates are less
than usual. The reports about beans
and peas indicate an average produC-
ton in quantity and quality, with
some local variability. The pea crop,
which is one of great importance to
the South, has occupied larger ag-
gregate than formerly in North Caro-
lima, Georgia and Tennessee, but has
been somewhat neglected in other
Cotton States.
Potatoes exhibit considerable re-
ductiOn in yield, which is below an
average in all the Atlantic States to
Virginia, inclusive, and in all the
West, IN States, north of the Ohio Riv-
er-the depreciation ranging from hf-
teen to fOrty-fOur per cent. The sweet
potato crop is mparatively large
one, while the average of sorghum is
not very large. The crop is in super
ior condition, and promises a yield of
syrup of fine quality.
Another month or two will deter
mine whether the present Cotton crop
shall be limited to three millions of
bales, or rise to three and half mil
Lions, as predicted early in the season.
The present area in cultivation has re
duced the price to fifteen cents per
pound, or to the very verge of profit
able cultivation, and correspondents
are already reporting the ruin of plant
ers who grow cotton exclusively, and
who buy agricultural supplies.
A large increase in the product of
caue sugar is regarded as certain.
There is comparatively large surplus
Of old wheat in Tennessee, Missouri,
Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, and as
much as usual in Ohio, Indiana, Ken
lucky, and the smaller States. There
is no evidence Of any large surplus to
add materially to the supplies of the.
year.
The supply of fattening cattle is
somewhat in excess of former years,
with great local variation.