The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-09
The Crops-Foreign and Domestic

The Crops-Foreign and Domestic.
The digest crop returns for October, as
prepared at the Department of Agriculture.
| indicates reduction in the yield of the
| wheat crop of nearly one-sixth, while the
| quality is somewhat superior. More accurate
statistics may possibly be given after the re.
suits OF threslling arc more fully known
Every section Of the Union indicates re.
duccd product except the Middle States,
which increased about per cent. The New
England States fell of per cent, The South
Atlantic States per cent, the Gulf States
~ per cent, the Southern inland States
per cent. the States north OF the Ohio river
IA per cent. the States west OF the Mssis
sippi river p per cent, the Pacific States
nearly per cent. These figures point to ;
yield of about 24J, 10000 bushels. This
however, will be the subject of further exam
nation and inquiry in the November returns
The October returns. as general thing, in.
dictate an advance in the wheat yield of those
States in which the yield OF 1875 had falle,
below that OF 1874, and vice versa; but il
some States, especially in the Northwest
there Is falling off from even the reduced
yields Of 1875.
OTHER GRAIN CROPs.-'fhe rye crop o.
1876 is reported per cent. less than that q
1875, but in quality it averages somewhat
above its predecessor. The barly crop of tho
country yields about per cent. less thar
last year. In all the States east OF the Mis-
sissippi river the yield is deficient, except in
Connecticut, Georgia and Kentucky.
great falling off is reported in the Middle
States and States north OF the Ohio river. ir
States between the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers and Oregon, but Kansas, Nebraska
and especially California, the largest barley
raising States in the Union, have realized a
large increase OF yield, which, to great ex.
tent counterbalances the short crops OF other
States. The buekwheat crop is reported as
full average or above in Rhode Island, Viz.
! GINA, Arkansas, Kentucky. Ohio, Wisconsin
and California. In the other States it is be-
low an average, the minimum (5O) being in
Delaware. On the basis Of the October re-
urns, the oat crop OF 1876 shows falling of
tag per cent. Every section of the Union
is deficient, viz: New England. per cent;
Mi ddle States, u per cent; South Atlantic
Sta ties, per cent; the Gulf States, s per
cen t.; Southern inland States, per cent;
the States north Of the Ohio river 25 per
cent. aeeA
The States west of the Mississippi 40 per
cent. The Pacific States 4 per cent. The
States reporting yield equal to that Of last
year re Pennsylvania, 102 Delaware, 100
South Carolina, 126; Georgia, 1l5; Florida,
10Y; Alabama, 100 .Louisiona, 1O4; West
virgini:s. 113; Kentucky, 1903; Ohio, 102; Cal
ifornia, 100.
The condition of the corn crop in the New
England States is little above an average.
The Middle States, except Delaware, report
depressed condition from drought in the
growing season, and from heavy rains in the
harvest, when the crop was not wellripened.
In New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvan ia
heavy storms prevailing about the Middle Of
September Frustrated many fields. The South
Atlantic States, especially the counties near
the coast, suffered serious Injury to the crop
from the September storms, which prostra-
ted fields Left uncut, while heavy rains that
followed spoiled large amount Of both grain
and fodder. Maryland and South Carolina
are a full average, and Georgia largely
above, but deficiencies Ut Virginia. North
Carolina cut down the general condition of
this section to two per cent. below an aver
age. The crop in the Gulf States on the
whole is about an average, Texas reporting
an especially fine condition. North Of the
Ohio river there is a deficiency on the whole.
the low condition in Illinois and Michigan
overbalancing the extra promise in other
States. Ohio reports superior crop. geDcr.
ally of good quality. In Michigan crops on
low wet lands are reported very poor. Illi-
nois is below an average, though several
counties report the finest crop for years.
West Of the Mississippi small dcticie ncy in
Missouri is more than repaired by the fine
condition reported In all the other States.
In Iowa crops were poor in low wet lands,
and condition in several counties reduced
greatly by gras'hoppers. In Missouri local
damage by storms is reported, but low pri-
ces and abundant yield in the larger portion
of the State. Kansas has full average i'm
spite of the grasshoppers and chinches, and
Nebraska is considerably above the publish
ed report.
THE COTTON CRoP.-Summing up data
upon cotton it is stated that the general har-
vest is more advanced than usual The sea-
son is generally favorable to picking. Later
pickings will be comparatively light. The
causes Of the injury are not unusually excess
sfve, drought being somewhat prominent in
the Cult States; the September storms on the
Atlantic eoasss the caterpillar in Alabama.
especially, and the boil. worm in Arkansas
The season promises to be much shorter than
last year. There is less vigor and thrift for
future development of fruitage in case of
prolonged season like the extraordinary one
Of 1876, though the indications of the condl-
ten reports Of this department up to Octo-
Der pointed to foul and two. thirds million
bales. Last season there was proved to be a
deficiency OF lint to seed in the ginning, and
other unfavorable indications, which would
have limited the crop inevitably to four and
one-third millions, but for full months de-
lay OF a killing frost in the Gulf States, fields
being green in large belt upto December
Sth. The future of the present season can
not make the crop deficient one, but will
determine how near to the large one OF 1875
the result shall come.
POTATOES, SORGHUM AND TOBACCO
Sweet potato returns give promise of full
average crop of good quality.
Nearly all the States that grow sorghum
to any considerable extent report a condi-
tioR averaging above one hundred.
Tobacco Cheshire and Sullivan in New
Hampshire, Berkshire and Hampshire in
Massachusetts, and Hartford and I.itchfield
in Connecticut, all being principal tobacco
counties, return each a condition of one
hundred. In New York the largest tobacco
county, Onondaga, returns seventy; other
counties range from seyenty-flye to one hun
dred. In Pennsylvania, Lancaster reports
that a larger crop than ever before has been
housed in good condition; in York the eondi-
ton is one hundred and ten; Cumberland
county producing but little) is the only coun-
ty below one hundred. Iii Maryland the
condition averages eighty-two. In Virginia,
the average condition returned September
lst was sixty-tive; during the month the
progress in some localities was counterbal-
aneed by damages from storms, and deprada-
lions by worms in others. so that the gener.
al condition October LIST averaged about the
same; as a rule lighter counties are higher
in condition than the heavier, many Of them
reaching one hundred. In North Carolina
the average is seventy-three; as in Virginia.
a higher condition is generally returned in
counties producing small quantities. Ten
nessee averages ninety-one, an advance Of
eleven per cent. on September. In West
Virginia high condition is reported, avera-
ging one hundred aud six. Kentucky re-
ports an advance in condition during Sep
TENDER from seventy-seven to eighty-thrce;
general exemption from insect depredations,
anc q very favorable condition Of weather,
combined to make this result. In Ohio the
average condition advanced in September
from ninetyseven to one hundred and four.
BEANs.-The only States in which the
condition does not fall below one hundred
are New Jersey, Delaware and Oregon, one
hundred; CALIFORNIA; one hundred and three
Vermont one hundred and folr and South