The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-10-16
GENERAL LN7,ELLIGENCE.

The whole number OF claims submitted to
the American and British mixed commission,
was 497, the claimants making reclamations
in the aggregate of the enormous sum OF
nincty-fve million dollars. Of these only 1Sl
were allowed, the gross sum Of which awards
reaches 81 1929, 1856. 1t appears, by an examis
nation of the accounts which were favorably
considered that the awards we're only made
against the United States in cases where the
property was taken, used or appropriated by
the authorities of the United States, and i'll
cases of illegal imprisonment of British sub
iects duling the late war.
Col Clay Cox pension agent for the dis
trct of Columbia, has recently paid 400
pounds to American citizens in Scotland, Ire
land, Wales, Prussia, and in many instances to
pensioners residing on the islands of the
Pacific and Atlantic oceans not belonging to
the United States. All these are paid by bills
of exchange The United States liz tho only
government that pays pensions to citizens who
have taken up an abode i'll other countries.
The New York World estimates the shrink
age of railroad stocks during the panic at
:1S5, 100000, and Western Union telegraph at
5000, 600.
The September report Of the agricultural
bureau indicate that the yield of maize will be
somewhat lower than last year. The average
appears to be four per cont. less than 1872,
making q reduction of more than a million
acres in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, II ear
" million being in Illinois. The number of
tounties reporting an average condition sep
cember IL 300 above the average 22l below
5Sl total number reporting l,O24. The gen
eral average of condition as based upon the
county average and the proportion of croppro-
duccd by each county is Sl6. The states ave
raing lOOormorc are New Hampshire, Now Jer-
sey. Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia. Mime
sofa and Oregon. The averages of the great
corn producing states are AZ follows: Kentucky
"a. Ohio 81, Indiana 81, Illinois IS, Iowa 81 aud
Missouri G7. Minnesota in the west and New
Jersey III the east report relatively and sbso-
lutely high as averages of condition. Mary
land, Virginia and Florida present relatively
higher averages aud all southern states lower
than 1872, although those upon the Atlantic
coast promise an average. The yield ot the
southwestern states was unusually large last
wear, but will be cOnsidera! ly under an aver
age the present season. 1t suffered from too
much moisture in bottom lands 1t il al7o a
noticeable fact that in states where rains have
been most injurious the reports OF local
drought5 are somewhat numerous. Complaints
of low vitality from bad seed are common III
Ohio and Michigan. Tho suhmcr droughts
were injurious in portions Of some states, and
in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas
the crop s generally reported two weeks later
than usual Chipch-bug injuries are reported
in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and kan1a"
Grasshoppers proved destructive III section5o OF
Missouri, Iowa and Kansas.
i he department Of agriculture is issuing
circular for collecting results OF seasons ex-
poriemcc in systematic form in many instances
great SUCCESS claimed in the use of arsenical
compounds in war upon insects. The circular
saws tho annual losses Of cotton from ravages
of cOttGh insects amount possibly to half
million bales in years Of insect prevalence.
Any facts bearing upon this subject will be
gladly eceived from planters who do not re-
ceive the circular of inquiry a. well AZ from
correspondents and others who do. In re-
sponse to an inquiry whether persons who
sell brandy peaches, brandy-chorrieT, otc, IL
liable to special tax ~ liquor dealers the com
missioner of internal revenue replies that mn
less said articles are bona fide sold a. such
and contain only the necessary quantity OF
brandy to preserve the fruit, the dealer must
pay a special tax for selling the brandy.
The department of state has been in
| formed by Genl Shenck that the Nltional as
sociation Of science Of London Las offered a
prize Of $500 TO the person who shall write
the most able essay on the following subject;
In what way ought an international assembly
| TO be constituted for the formation Of code
of public international law, and what ought
tobe the principles on which such code should
be formed: The association invites the COM
petition Of Americans for the prize. The
essay is to he sent to the association on or
before the lat Of June. 1874.
The dispatches from every section OF the
country indicate decided improvement IN the
financial situation. The general feeling seems
] ., l.. ,.Iaa,fuI &. u1 snu61ent