The Ottawa free trader., 1881-09-24
The Crops.


In Kentucky, as we'll rs IN Illinois, the
prospect OF IA ialr corn crop is u good deal
better than it appeared u month ago. The
State Commissioner Of Agriculture in report
just issued says:
The rams were in time TO greatly benefit
late corn. Reports from all quarters bear u
more cheerful face not only rs regards late
corn, but the entire crop OF the state. In most
localities where an early start was obtained
pretty fair crops have been raised. some
counties have suffered more than others. In.
deed, on many of them the crop approaches q
total failure, while IN Others fair crops have
been raised The mountain counties have been
exempted in large degree from the effects of
the drought There are fair crops also IN Gar
rard, Madison, Mercer ana Boyle counties and
along the waters Of the Green river and IN
some other lOcalitles-nothlng, of course, ap.
proaching full crops. To sum up the whole
matter. the corn crop of the state is not so bad
as 1t looked to be some weeks ago, with the
exception OF some localities. The rains have
worked marvellous change in tobacco. The
crop, however in any event cannot but be
light and Inferior. SO far tle indications are
not favorable for a large fall crop of grass. II
IS time enough yet, if blessed with abundant
rainfalls, for a full crop TO be grown. Com.
plant IS general that the clover sown last
spring succumbed to the drought. There was
less hemp sown this year than last, and of
course much of ii was checked III its growth
by the drought SO that 1t is below the average
height. l have seldom seen finer or heavier
lint
The report of the Department of Agricul
ture at Washington, issued September 18th,
has the following in regard to the general con-
dition of cotton, corn aad tobacco:
The reports OF September to this depart.
ment show a very heavy decline in the condi.
tlOn of cotton since the last report, owing to a
prOtraCted drought which has prevailed In all
sections of the cotton belt. The condition as
reported is 12, decrease OF l6 per cent.
during the month Of August, ana as compared
with the returns at the same date last year is
10 per cent less. The reports are from $50
counties of the cotton section and are some
what less in number than usually received.
The number Of county and state averages are
as follows:-North Carolina, forty-two cOun.
ties, reporting average 72; South Carolina.
twenty-five counties average 6S; Georgia, fiji.
ty-five counties, average II; Florida, fourteen
counties, average 81 Alabama, tnirty.three
counties, average "a; Louisiana, fifteen coun-
ties, average 70; Texas, sixty counties, aver
age 65; Arkansas, thirty-One counties, average
50; Tennessee, twenty-one counties, average
62
The general average condition of the corn
crop on September l was 60, being II per cent
lower than the month previous and 81 per
cent. lower than year ago at the same
date. The cause of the low condition existing |
in almost every section of the country is
drought. New England has been less affected
by 1t than any other section OF the country
east of the Mississippi and reports an average
of 90. In Wisconsin, Minnesota ahd most of
the territories there has been more seasopable |
weather and the condition of the crop il cor
respondingly better, but IN all other sections
the reports show the effects of an unusually |
dry season. From Illinois, Missouri and Kan.
sas come complaints OF ravages by the chinch
bug, added to the prevailing drought, and the
injury to the crop prospect is shown by the
state averages, which are SO, 42 and 55 respec.
lively.
TOBACCO.
The returns from correspondents give very
serious decline In the prospect for the tobacco
crop. With the exceptions of the states north |
of the Delaware river and Wisconsin on the
west the universal complaint Is drought
Kentucky and lllrois each report but little
over half crop, while Tennessee and Missou-
RI report less than twothiids. The average tor
the whole country is only 65, against S5 las;
month and 81 at this same date last year.