, 1877-03-10
AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS
IN THE UNITED STATES.
from the Herald.)

(Fr0m the HeTdLd.)
The farmer looks forward to the season
of spring as that which must brighten or
darken his prospects of a favorable harvest.
The operations of agriculture are so varied,
and depend so much on conditions of the
weather, that anxiety regarding the plant
ing season is always justifable. The
passing winter is being regarded as excep-
t~ionally severe by those not engaged in
farming. Intense cold, heavy SHOWS and
rains, destructive floods and violent gales,
have marked its progress aud lent to its
history a very sad interest in view of the
loss of life along the coast and the devasta.
ton caused on the Ohio and other rivers.
The season has presented to meteorolo-
gists one of those instances Of sudden and
extraordinary cOmpensations by which
nature adl usts the atmospheric equilibrium
which has been subjected to a series of
disturbances through several years. The
extreme warmth of last summer resulted
in many evils to the farming class. In the
West the growing crops were in urcd by
prolonged periods of drought or were cut
down by the voracICus swarms of grass
hoppers, which Invested some extensive
districts of every trace of vegetation. The
potato bug extended the area Of IFS des-
t|ructive operations from the Rocky Noun
tains to Cape Cod. Tie various crops
suffered in their several districts from an
excess and a want of moisture, and tho
whole agricultural interests of the coun.
try felt the ~stagpation of business caused
by our political Uncertainties and the df-
fculties that arose out of the question Of
cheap transportation.
Now, however, q more cheering pros
pect presents itself, for, after the severe
winter, we are pretty certain to enjoy a
fine spring season, extremely favourable
for farming operations. The heavy SHOWS
have brought to the soil important che
mical additions which cannot fail to in
crease its fertility. 1t has also 1bIanketted
the face of the country eastward of the
Mississippi with a good nOn-cOnducting
covering, by which radiation of heat has
been checked and vegetation consequently
protested from the destructive effects of
the intense cold. The larvae of the grass.
hopper and potato bug have been proba-
bly, destroyed in the regions where these
insects are most destructive. Although q
paragraph is being extensively copied
from a Western paper to the effect that an
experimental thawing of some masses Of
earth has proved that the grasshopper eggs
have not been destroy ed by the recent
severe cold, no unfavourable deductions
can be drawn from the fact. if it is a fact,
because the conditions of he alleged tests
were peculiar to it and will not attend The
natural and very gradual tbawing out Of
the soil during the coming sp'iug. 1t is
possible that some region thickly covered
with snow may develop q grasshopper
crop. but the great area of the Northwest
and West has not been so covered during
this winter. Our political doubts are on
the eve of being dissipated by constitution
al means, and there can be no question
about the early settlement of the trans
portation problem on a basis satisfactory
to all parties interested. With these
cheering considerations before us we look
forward to renewed activity in the fields,
which will be rewarded with abundant
harvests when the year grows older.