Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-08-04
Spring and Winter Wheat.

CONDITION OF THE CROPS IN THE STATES
VISITED by CHINCH BUGs AND GRASS
HoPPERs AND IN THOSE FREE FROM THESE
NUIsANCES
WASHINGTON. August 2.-The report of
the Department of Agriculture for July
| shows that the average condition of wiater
| wheat Tor the whole country is 10i. The
most favorable conditions of growth were
found in several of the States in which other
crops suffered most severely. Arkansas. the
| maximum, IA; Tennessee, l19; WestV Virginia,
118; Kentucky, ~. In these States severe
and destructive drought, commencing short
~ before wheat harvest. gave to this grain q
hne opportunity for rlppening thoroughly,
Dut told feariully upon all srrnG and summer
| crops. In the Middle States the crop was
generally above average, and in the States
north OF the Ohio nearly or quite average.
ONO, where drought has most prevail d,
shows the highest average-105. West of the
mississippi the crop was generally very good
ana ABOVE average, except where late sowings
were caught by chinch-bugs, which, with
other causes, reduced the average of Kansas
| to 80. This plauge was al felt In few lo-
cali ties in Virginia and North Carolina, but
the crop in the Southern wheat States showed
| considerable margin above average, though
Iexas reached only "a. In New England the
small acreage of winter wheat was somewhat
injured by winter-killing. The Fultz wheat,
1rom seed furnished by the department, is IA
vorably reported from Chester, Ps. but rusts
ed badly and yielded lightly in Talbot and
Calvert Maryland. In nBuckingham,V Virginia
IT excelled all other varieties; in Augusta 1t
ripened before any other;in Madison Il retain.
ed It's prestitage, as also in Bath; but in
Spottsylvania 1t yielded only half crop, and
rnsted badly in Dinwiddie. In Stanley, North
Carolina, binders complain of the weight of
the sheaves. In Fannin, Georga,t was very
hne. In Knox, Tennessee, 1t was hardy
vigorous and productive, excelling all other
varieties. Tappahannock wheat is also re-
ported as very successful in several portions
OF the country, Its occasional failures being
conditions.
spring wheat shows general average of
s6 In New England it was on the whole
considerably above the average, though
backward in several counties In the few
counties growing this crop in the Middle
ana on the Pacific coast the crop was above
average. In the Northwestern States it
especially suffered from the ravages of the
chlncn bugs and other insects. In several
counues OF Indiana this insect was demonsta-
ting seriously; in Morgan several fields were
destroyed and ploughed up to be put in other
crops. Illinois reports numerous casualties of
similar character, and in those districts of
Wisconsin where droughts prevailed the same
misfortune Is noted. In several localities In
ana saved the crops from their rayages, but
not TILL after considerable damages had been
done. The grasshoppers were also in juiious
here.
In Missouri the chinch nuisance was quite
serious, N Caldwell coun.y the injury to
the crop was estimated variously from 35 to
90 per cent. 1t is noticed in Benton that,
while the crop was badly injured on prairie
soils. on timber land it reached a full average
Pettis reports the insects as reducing the crop
| from 25 to 30 per cent In other counties
however, the pest Is hardly noticeable, and
the crops are uncornmony promising. The
chinch also infest The sprilg wheat of Kansas
In Anderson they nearly ruined the crop In
Franklin and Wilson farmers propose to sow
no more wheat until secured against this risk.
In some counties, as in Montgomery, early
sowings were but lightly affected, especially of
drilled wheat, but broadcast crops were badly
affected. In Nebraska, where the pest did
not appear, the crop was above average.
In one or two counties an aversion to i'm
proved machinery for harvesting is noted
Farmers preferred hiring extra labor to pur-
chasing reapers and mowers. In some local
tiles OF California the crop was affected by hot.
dry weather and nortn wind. In some
counties Of Oregon heavy rains produced a
heavy growth. which 1t was feared might
Prove excessive, In Utah the crop was
injured by cut worms.