Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-21
STATE OF MINNEsorA.

OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE. 7
bureau OF STATISTICS, ST. PAUL Aug. IL, ~.
To the iitor.. have the honor to submit,
according to the provisions of law, the follow
lag tables showing the average d yield OF
The principal cereals and the sugar cane of the
stare for the year 1878; also, the average OF
same crops growing in 1879, as compiled from
ne tficial returns of the town assessors and
county auditors.
LIE Sueur coanty, and some of the less i'm
oOrtant agricultural counties (as shown on
abIeR, and seventeen townships IN the re-
nrted counties have not made returns at this
late, and are therefore included in the esti-
mated amounts, which are based upon The re
,Drted averages of 1875 and the general aver
,ye Weld and per cent of increase, and Will
loosely Approximate the true amounts which
he Com missioner hopes to obtain before the
publication of the annual report.
Recollectiug the blight thaS struck the wheat
ron at it's most critical stage in the season OF
1878 it will not be surprising to notice that
he Weld falls C. nsiderably below the general
.verase The damage sustained from this
;ause, was, however, comparatively small In
he Northwestern counties. increasing In regu-
lar ratio towards the southern, where, IN many
localities it was very serious. The quality
was therefore materially retter and larg' IN
the Northwestern part of the State. As wall be
cen from the tables. the largest wheat grow
ing counties, viz: Dakota. Dodge, Fillmore,
fteeborn. Gondhue, Mo ser, Rice. Steele, Waba-
shaw and Winona. which in 1877 produced
from |. 800 600 to 3700.0O0 bushels each, and
together over twenty and one-quarter millions
bushels of the first quality of wheat, were re-
d.ced in 1878 to l2,4l9536 bushels, and this
mostly of lower grade, although grown upon
an augmented acreage.
An increase in the wheat acreage for the cur.
rent year will be noticed in nearly every cOun.
ty, but more especially IN the new western and
uDrtnW western counties, where it reaches to from
30 to over 100 per cent. The total acreage of
the State is g. 755 996, an increase of more than
Is per cent. over that of 1873; and the repurts
Of the crops harvested therefrom are generally
highly favorable, alt Though some localities in
he southern counties said to have suffered
from the dr0u:h in the early spring and also
rom cbintz bugs. The yield will probably
TALL considerably below the general average, but
he quality is said to be very good throughout
be Sta e. In the northwestern counties the
usual high average seems to be maintained
both as to yield and quality. Owing to the
vast extent of the wheat acr age and the many
pecullarities of the season and clrcu instances
| Of farming, (many farms in the same local
tiles vary III yield from ten to twenty bushels
per acre., correct estimated yield per acre for
he State is difficult to arrive at through the
! information received at present; suffice to say
he yield will not fall short OF from thirteen to
| fifteen DnSnolS per acre, anu TIC CLOp
| xill be by far the largest ever grown III Min
nesota. -...' ...t. ..t.-. ...-
The GRIP of oats and corn of 1873 were tn
| greatest ever produced in the Staie-the yield
| per acre oc oats being larger than that of any
| year since 1869 and of corn the largest yield
| per acre since 1871. These crops participate
| largely in the general increase of acreage f"1
| 1879 as seen from the tables oats being II. 4O
| Der cent and corn Is per cent. larger than the
acreage of 1878, and heavy yield is promised
| BIrlev like wheat was badly affected by the
| blight in 1878. consequently decrease in bush
| els produced from that of 1877 is SHOWN 10 the
| table, an increased acreage for the present year
| of over lU5 per cent. is also shown. The severe
storms during tue summer are reported to have
| lodged the barley crops To a considerable ex-
| tent, and this oircustauce will probably mater
tally lessen the large acrea, g yield which was
| expected.
| The large additional acreage of sugar cane
must be exceedingly gratifying to those inter
ested in the progress of this new industry OF
| the State, and it is therefore included in the
oi,owing statement: 3l7.129 gallons of the
| syrup we're produced in 1878 against lao. Is.
| ,allnns in 1871, and the vieId per acre for the
latter sea-on was 80 gallons. The increase oi
acreage reported this year over 1873 is 81 pei
| cent. The introduction into the State OF
| superior machinery for refining the r4w mate
| rial will aid largely in the devel pment of this
| ind ustrv and in verifying tie predictions OF
| lh.,se who have claimed that amber cane sugar
| : destined to become one of our most i'm port
| mt manufactures.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
= JOHN p. JACOBSON,
Asst. Sec of State and Com. of Statistics.