Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-16
TEE
lEERIV IrNIAN ANN IAann1
FARM AND GARDEN.
QUE CROPS

From the Monthly Report Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture for July, we CLEAN
some interesting facts in relation to the
condition of the various crops that consti-
tute 3D. important a part of the yearly
wealth of the ration. The season up to
July was marked by different features in
different sections Of the country, and OF
course the growth Of vegetation assumed
like alterations. In the New England and
Middle States, and as far south as the Che
sapeake B ay, the general character of the
season was one of drouth; in many coun
ties disastrous TO vegetation. For two
months there was little or no rain, and the
earth was parched and baked, especially
soils in which clay formed the principal in
gredient. In the South Atlantic and Gulf
States the rain fall was far in excess of
the general average in any portion of
the Union. As consequence, the
ground became thoroughly saturated, and
the grass gained such Roadway
that mary fields of corn and cot on were
abandoned. This abundance of moisture,
however, was unfavorable to the develop
ment of insects, and consequently the dep
relations upon the cotton crop were much
less than the previous reports had given
ground TO fear. In the inland Southern
States, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia
and Kentucky, the rainfall was abundant,
and In many places excessive, but not to so
Injurious an extent as in the States further
south. South of the Ohio river the rains
were generally moderate, and in many place
the weather was very fine. Taken as a
whole, however, the season may be regard
ed as favorable one for crops, and what is
lost in certain localities from one cause, will
be made up in others By a succession of
fortunate circumstances.
The wheat yield of the country will be
fully up to, if not trifle above, the general
average. 1t is set down in the neigbbOrhood
of 22O,O0O,000 bushels.
The area Of corn planted is not so great
as last year. Florida and Arkansas retur
an increase OF 5 per cant; Alabama, 2; Mis-
sissippi, Iowa and Missouri, 1; Louisiana, Z;
Texas, S; Wisconsin, 3; Kansas, 10; Ne
brasks, IL; Maine, Michigan and Oregon, a
decrease of 2 per cent; New Hanp, hire,
New York, New Jersey, Delaware and H.
diana, 5; Vermont aud Ohio, 6; Mass achu-
sets, South Carolina and California, s;
Rhode Island and Illinois, L; Connecticut,
Virginia and Tennessee, 1; Pennsylvania
and North Carolina, A; Maryland, Georgia
and Kentucky, 3. In all the Gul States
there is an increase in the amount Of corn
cultivated. This result, due mainly to a
healthy tendency in the cotton States to-
ward producing their own supplies, has,
perhaps, been perceptbly Increased by the
smoun' Of Gotten fields plowed up and
planted in corn. The termination of seed
corn was not favorable in the Northern,
Middle and Northwestern S ates. In the New
England and Middle States, also in Ohi",
Michigan, and sections # adjacent States,
and in California, an early drought checked
its growth, while South and West protracSed
wet weather greatly hindered cultivation,
and multiplied weeds and grass. Bat with
In the past six weeks corn has gained
amazingly in condition, and fair crop may
be gathered. Cat woI ms have been quite
generally trouble Eome, and especially so in
Maryland; grasshoppers, which destroyed
much OF the first planting in Texas, ut left
in season for second planting, are iDjuripg
the crop in some sections o. California, and
chinch bugs are threatening extensive iIjury
10 it in Missouri and Kansas.
In 1872 there was planted of cotton in
this country eight million FIVE hundred
thousand acres. This year there is an ad-
vance of twelve per cent upon these figures.
Trho lar- v1tovrfad 6a lat q
crop, and the almost incassant rains, for
weeks preventing work aud stimu-
lating the growth of grass and
weeds, have combined to produce
demand for labor which it is impossible to
meet. In consequence of this excess OF
rain and lack of labor, weeds and grass
have been overshadowing the cotton-plaut
In every State and in almo every county
reported. The average condition for .
the cotton States (not counting Virginia),
as made up for all the counties reDorted,
1915. Ten counties rep rting from, Virginia
make the average condition los, 2 icing
placed at 100, 6 above, and 2 below. In
North CAROLINA 43 counties make the aver
age condition 81. Fourteen are place at
100. In South Ca,olina the condition of
only one county among the siEtse report
ing comes up 10 average the general aver fge
condition being 80. Tire range is from 20
to 100. In Georgia, from which SO ret, rrs
have been receive, the average Condition is
"a; II counties are 100, 10 above, and 81
below From Florida only 10 counties
have reported, max ng an average csndi-
ton of 50; the extremes being Suwanee, IS,
and Liberty, $50. From Alabama, coun.
ties return average condition, 8 above and
% below; making G n, raj average of So
Geneva, 125; Walker, la; SaiHt Clair, ITO;
Franklin and Limestone, 80; Will
cox, 81; the others from IS up to 100. In
Mississippi 81 counties make the av rage
condition SO, being 100; 2 above, Newton
$50, and Kinds 105; and 81 below, the low
est beirg Marion, IS, and Jefferson, Clai
borne and Pike, go; the others ranging from
IS upward. Twenty-four counties in Ten
nessee return an average condit on of SO; Z
at 100; above and II below. Wayne, 125;
Wilson aud Hardin, 40; Davidson and
Humphrey, ITO; Bradley, so; others from
so Up TO sversge. In Louisiana three par
ishes report a condition above average;
Vim, los; Rlchland and Union, ITO; and
in the latter ''the prospect of large crcp
better than in any year since the close ct
the war" Tensss returns syersce. and the
others reporting below; the lowest being
Cameron and East Baton Rouge, 30, and
Carols, Rspide', Red River, Claiborns and
AVoy el.es, 70. In Texas The cotton crop
has had TO contend with cold, backward
spring, late, severe frosts, and excessive
rains, rrotrscied beyond precedent. Fifty
one re urDs make the average condition for
the State only IS. Two counties are 100,
nine above, forty balow. While the cotton