The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-31
THE CROPS.
DEcEMBEE REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT or
AGRICULTURE.

DECEMBER REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT or
AGRICULTURE.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 80, 1879.
The December crop report of the Department OF
Agriculture states tnat preliminary investigation
points to increase of twelve per cont in the area
sown in winter wheat. The only States reporting
decline Alabama. Mississippi and Arkansas. in
which the united wheat would not exceed that
Of some counties of the Northwest. All the other
States show an increase especially the spring wheat
States Of the Northwest The winter wheat acreage
of these States however. is small and hence their
increase Even very high ratio does not add ma
terially to the breadth sown In the country. But
many large winter wheat States report great enlarge
gan. each per cent; Texas and Tennessee. each 10
per cent Kentucky and Indiana. och II per
Oregon. each 20 per cont; Illinois. ~ per cent.
There quite general complaints OF tho ravages Of
the Hessian ny in the early sown crops. and OF tho
Yet the starts out the whole under prospects,
considerably above the average. especially In the
large winter wheat States.
Tho final returns have not yet sensibly changed
the November estimates of the tobacco crop. The
total product of the country is within small per
centage OF that of 1875 the gain being chiefly in Ken
lucky, Tennessee and Connecticut. and the most
serious loss in Ohio and Missouri. AS whole, the
quality is but slightly better than that OF last years
crop, although the improvement is quite marked in
SeVer STATES Ine TOTAL crop ID eStlmateu II
1884, o69, $50 pounds valued at 2l.54559l, against
49, TOO pounds, valued at So 137 42s. in 1873.
OATS.
The return Of the oat crop. made on November 1.
is confirmed by the report Of this month Tho
total product of the country is estimated at
1878 Of 413.57s.OOO bushels-a decline of IL per
cent. The price returned tho first of this
month AVERAGED $50 cents per bushel. against M.6
cents last year at tho same time. making total
valuation this year of $120 900. against $lUl-
945, 900 in 1878.
There is no change in the estimate Of the potato
crop Of last month. With an increase Of 3 per
cent in the for this year. there is yield Of
% bushels per acre. against % bushels last year
and "a bushels in 1877. The total crop for the
country estimated at 18l. 1863 900 bushels. which
at the price returned-l3.5 cents as the average
would make in round numbers SITS, 0OO 600, against
q valuation last year Of ST3;050O00.
WINTER RYE
The area in winter rye has fallen of about three
per cent from last year. The New England States,
the States north of the Ohio River and the Pacific
acreage. Texas, the only OF the Gulf States in
which this crop is OF sufficient Importance to attract
The other sections report diminished breadth.
The falling of in the Southern inland States is fully
onefth. The condition OF the crop is about average
on the whole being above average in q majority Of
the States reporting 1t.
The hay crop Is about ten per cent less than that
of 1878. The New England and Gulf States have
slightly Increased their product but all other
tions have declined. The heaviest loss is in the
Southern inland States, which taken together have
fallen off twenty-seyen per cent. The drought in
this section has fallen with especial severity upon
the grass crop. The same disastrous influence has
been felt in the States north OF the Ohio where the
loss is twenty per cent and in the South Atlantic
States, where 1t amounts to seventeen per cent Tho
Middle States, the largest hay producing region
o. the country. fall off nine per cont; in the re-
naming sections the losses have been much less.
the Pacific States falling off but per cent. Tho
average price Of hay is about 80 "a per ton against
81 81 in 1878. The aggregate value will be over
1926 10000 against S235 $500 last year, in
crease OF nearly fourteen per cent