National Republican., 1883-06-11
THE CROPS OF THE COUNTRY.

Llib ChOfS Ob IhE COONIh1s
An Average Increase In tho Area OF Cotton
Planted, and Fair Prospects OF Good
YieId-'rhe Winter Wheat Crop VIII he
short, but Spring Wheat is i'm Excellent
Condition.
Tho department of agriculture reports an
increase of cotton area slightly exceeding 3
per cent. Florida and Tennessee fail by one
point TO maintain their area, and there is a
decrease of about 10 per cent. in the cotton
districts of Virginia and Missouri. The in
crease is 8 per cent. in Texas, in Arkansas
in Louisiana, in Alabama, ? respectively in
South Carolina and Mississippi, and 1 in
Georgia
Tho department record of ar ca in 1882 was
1G276,00O acres. Tho returns now indicate
breadth Of 10, 100000 acres, an increase of
50l, 200 acres. The area by states is in thou
sands of acres Virginia, 81; North Carolina,
1850; South Carolina, 1,6lO; Georgia, 1873;
Florida, 25s; Alabama, 2,6l0 Mississippi, q
27s; Louisiana 032; Texas, 3,035; Arkansas,
1,1SS; Tenneso' J., S07. Missouri, the Indian
territory and other states contribute the re-
mainder.
The planting has boen late, and replanting
to fill defective stands more general than
usual. cold and wet April, followed by a
cold and very dry May, with frosts from May
20 to ~ continued the attempts to fill gaps up
to the date of report, and in the gulf states
belated plants had not appeared on the first of
June A persistent effort has been made to
perfect stands throughout the cotton belt.
The low temperature and rains of April
have delayed planting and retarded growth.
All returns make the season late, the range
being from one to three weeks. More favora-
bic weather in the lower latitudes begins al
ready to brighten heoutlook. There were
| an In In xyh iCh VI In
to one-third of the cotton was not up Tho
frost of tho twenty-third of May, which
extended nearly or quite through the area
planted was especially injurious on the north
ern border.
In South Carolina cold nights and drying
| winds during May greatly reduced vitality,
and the weather fthe first week Of June was
scarcely warm enough for cotton.
| Similar causes produced like effects in
| Georgia, somewhat modified by milder tenn
| perature, yet one correspondent claims from
personal record the worst season for cotton in
| twenty-seven years. In the remaining states
| the temperature has been lower than usual
There is frequent report of the presence of
the aphis, wherever the plant Is in its worst
condition.
The caterpillar made its appearance on May
| II in Butler county, Ala, twenty days earlier
than ever known before, aud Robertson and
Victoria, in Texas, report their presence.
| III mas Dceu BenbTdlly 700 uTy, Dub beIlOuh
| injury is nowhere reported, though threat
ened in southwestern Texas, especially in
Guadaloupe, Medina, Lavaca, Somervillo, aud
Lila na.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks, there il
a fair stand, medium vitality, and usually
clean culture. The average of condition is
represented by SO against 50 in June of last
year, which was lower than for several pre-
vious years, though improving constantly
aiterward. The averages of condition are
Virginia, 81 ; North Carolina, 81 South Car.
olina, 50; Georgia, So; Florida, 9i Ala
bama, 81; Mississippi, So; Louisiana, 81
Texas, 50; Arkansas 81, and Tennessee, 70
The condition of winter wheat is reported
lower than in May throughout the entire area
with few exceptions. The decline amounts
TO four points in Connecticut, fourteen in New
York, two in Ohio, eight in Indiana, fifteer
in Illinois, and seven in Missouri. 1t Is sligh
in Michigan, and generally throughout th
south. The general average of condition
Is seventy five against eighty. three il
May. In June, 1882, it was ninety nin
for winter wheat. 1t is by States a
, follows: Connecticut, 92; New York, 63; New
Jersey, 10l Pennsylvania, 07; Delaware, S3
Maryland, %; Virginia 03; North Carolina
95 South Carolina, 95; Georgia, SO; Ala
bama, 95; Mississippi, SO; Texas, 56 Arkan
f sas, 80; Tennessee, So West Virginia, 50
| kentucky, n; Ohio, so; Michigan, so; In
diana, G7; Missouri, 20; illinois, 81; Kansas
SO; California, So, and Oregon, 80. Thes
figures indicate the condition of the growing
wheat, without reference to loss of area b.
, plowing up winter killed areas. Th
spring wheat area has been in
+ creased about half million acres
+ or nearly per cent; Wisconsin reports
T reduction of per cent, Iowa of per cent
Minnesota makes an increase of per cent
, Nebraska Of z, Dakota of 40, and Montan
of 30. The spring wheat states have an acre
T age of nearly ten million acres.
i The condition of spring wheat is every
where high, averaging 9S per cent, the sam
+ as last year,
Tho area of barley is increased per cont
tot acreage about 2,350,0O0; conditio
averages % per cent.
, The increase in the area Of oats is a pc
cent; area nearly 100000 acres; condition
! is high, averaging 96 per cent.