Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-06-25
Our Crop Reports.


able yield of various crops throughout
the country, is Of no small interest to
the agricultural community, not merely
as q matter ofcuriosity, out also because
such foreknowledge, wisely utilized, will
enable the farmers to sell their produce
to greater advantage and conduct their
affairs on better business principles
Nor are the farmers the only people
interested in this question for there is
no class in this country, nor, indeed, in
the civilized world, TO whom the Amer
lean harvest is not a matter of great i'm
portance. To the railroad and shipping
interests, and the whole carrying trade,
an abundant harvest means prosper
Gus season and large dividends to the
mercantile community 1t means an eX>
t9nsiye business on a sound basis; to
the manufacturers it means large sales
and small losses to the labOring classes
it means plenty Of work and paying
wages, and plenty Of food at low prices.
while TO the nation at large it is a sure
guarantee Of comfort and prosperity.
Now are the blessings Of abundant
food and low prices consequent upon
fine harvest here, confined to tins side
Of the Atlantic, for abroad also the toll
ing multitudes are benefited by the sur
plus products such harvest enables us
to send them. True it is that over
flowing crops here cheaper the price Of
farm products aad consequently lessen
the profits of farmers elsewhere: but
the agricultural community OF Europe,
and especially of our chief market. Eng
land, forms but comparatively small
proportion OF the whole population. and
there is no single general benefit that
does not entail a thousand individual
hardships.
Reliable information with regard to
the prospects of all crops can be obtain
ed only from those who cultivate them.
and who are acquainted with the GUS
tomary yield in each section and under
each method of treatment. In this IS
sue several hundred farmers from as
many points scattered all over our broad
territory. give well considered opinions
on the outlook for crops in their respec-
tive neighbOrhOods or counties. With
a very few exceptions, all the writers
are practical farmers. each well ac~
quainted with the condition OF the crops
in his OVID vicinity. Many of them are
the secretaries Of the agricultural socie-
ties Of their respective counties, and
these have condensed in their reports
TO US the results of their investigations
and Of the local reports made to them.
Taken as a whole, therefore, an excel
lent estimate Of the coming harvest
throughout the country can be readily
formed by careful perusal Of these
pithy and interesting accounts.
From these and various other sources
Of information, including the report Of
the Department of Agriculture. received
this morning from Washington, il APP
pears that the average condition of win
ter wheat is 90, against 9S last year.
The yield on the Pacific coast. from
which our special reports have not yet
reached US, is considerably above the
average. Oregon raising TO lO4. The
States north 0! the Ohio river average
95, Indiana reaching lO3. The crop in
the Middle States averages sc that Of
New England94 and of the South At
lantic States &c. Soute Carolina report
ING los and Georgia ll2-a fine show
ing for the Empire State Of the South.
The Southern inland States average IS.
tie Gulf States SO, and the trans-Mlss-
sissippi States only 70, as compared with
% last year. All over the country
late spring and severe drought have
been more or less injurious to the crop.
Complaints Of winter-killing have come
from some parts OF the South. and of
slight ravages by the Hessian fly from
the North and West; while crasshop~
pers have made their appearance, but
have not yet done much damage, be-
yond the Mississippi. The acreage un-
der spring wheat is about four per cent.
greater than last year. The heaviest
increase is in California, which reports
ten per cent. more while in the New
England and the States west Of the
Mississippi there is an increase Of five
per cent. and one Of nine per cent. in
Minnesota; while the Middle States fall
of one per cent. The condition OF
spring wheat is about the same on the
whole, as that Of winter wheat all Il E
States beng trife below the average,
the crop having been subjected to the
same injurious influences. There is 4
considerable increase in the acreage IN
der wheat. but the amount Of this it IS
at present impossible to ascertain. In
many of the old States the increase is,
in the aggregate, not inconsidcrable,
while in some of the border States, and
especially IN the Territories, it is Of
great extent. For instance. in one
county in Dakota, which last year SOW
ed only fifty acres, upwards Of four thou
sand acres have been grown this year.
1t is more than probable, therefore, that
this great increase Of area under wheat
will at least fully comterbalance the
slight ammunition in the yield per acre
Of the crop.
Corn IS nearly everywhere backward,
but the late rains all over the country