Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-08-19
Virginia Department of Agriculture.
CROP REpoRT-REMARKs ON ENs1LAeE.

CROP ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ON ENsILAGE.
Colonel Randolph Harrison, our Commits
soner of Agriculture, has issued crop re-
port, which has also remarks on ensilage.
He pretty thoroughly discusses this impor-
tant interest. The following are his open
ing remarks:-
"Although it must be admitted that there
is vet very much which is imperfeetly I'M
derstood concerning this matter, as shown
by the diverse theories of scientific men
when discussing the process, and nOtwith-
standing the fact that there are still some
who refuse to believe in the advantages of the
discovery-the new way of preserving PROV
ender-y yet the great majority almost alb
of those who have given it a fair trial are
convinced of the vast benefits that will enure
from the system when the practice shall be-
come general.
"Manv practical farmers whom have the
honor of knowing well, now put up ensilage
every year, and are more and more pleased
with it. The number of silos is rapidly in
creasing in this country and in Europe; the
general verdict is in favor of ensilage. So
| do not hesitate to recommend a trial of
ensilage to those who may find it convent
ent, and submit the following remarks rath-
er as suggestions than as detailed di-
rections. Very few farmers are now totally
ignorant of the ordinary process of making
ensilage."
The Commissioner makes very interest
ing crop report, from which we make ex-
tracts
"Unusually full returns have been re-
celved, every county in the State being re-
ported except in the extreme Southwestern
corner, and in most of them several CORES.
pondents have given full information. Some
have honored us with letters supplement-
ing the statistical reports.
sit is gratifying to observe that the tone
OF most OF the communications is hopeful,
Notwithstanding the failure of winter grain
and the partial droughts which have sff1ict-
ed some of the fairest portions of the State
during the spring and summer of this year.
Summer rains are always more or less SPAR
tial, - but they seem to have been more than
usually so this year, and have given the
"go-by' to some of the best grain and pas
ture lands in the State.
''That our farmers have gone theoretically
to work is shown by increased areas of corn
and tobacco, and should there be good
following season, doubtless there will be a
larger acreage of wheat than usual. True
the price of wheat is low, aud there is no
reason to expect Uery high prices; but there
as good ground for believing that wheat will
command better price than it now does. 1t
will be strange if this does not come to pass.
BY the time the next crop comes in the &C
cumulated stocks left over from the good
years '82, 'S3, and '84 will have been cleared
away. There is now no doubt-it is adj
mitted by all the statisticians-tha the
crop of 1885 is the shortest made in the
United States since 1865 The average of
five estimates, coming from authorities re-
garded as the very highest in the country,
gives the crop of the United States as
$50, 600, 900 bushels, the estimate of Secre-
rary Chamberlain, of Ohio, being the low
est 600, 100000 bushels), and that of Mr.
j. I'll. Dodge, of the Z. S. Department of
Agriculture, being the highest $3.50, 600,
OO0). As time goes on, proof seems to accu-
mulate that the lower estimate is the more
correct one. Now, if we take the average,
$50, 600, 900 bushels, as the correct estimate
for this year, against 513,000,000 for last
year, and against 451, 900, 900, the average
of the last five years, we have a shortage
of 49,, 200, 600 bushels compared with last
year, and 121, 100000 bushels compared
with the average of the last five.
"This is notall that may be; the estimates
are made in the supposition of good wealth
er for the spring wheat until secured. Any
serious disaster in the Northwest will seri-
ously lower the figures given. Already there
are rumors, as l learn from private let
ter from Milwaukee, Of considerable dam
age done by rust and by storms. At any
rate, the outcome Of the spring wheat is
yet in doubt, with no probability of any
important increase in the figures, and de-
cided possibility Of their being lowered.
sit is yet uncertain what will be the ex-
tent of the European demand for our bread
stuffs; within short time we can probably
form some more definite idea than we now
have.
Il would advise our farmers to make all
the wheat they conveniently can, remember
ing that it does not pay to cultivate poor
land in wheat (if indeed it does in anything
else)."
The report contains the following in re-
lation to the wheat crop in Virginia.
ga large percentage has been threshed,
so that the yield can now be determined
within very narrow limits. A careful tab
ulation of the returns, which are more COM
plete than ever before, gives most remark
able confirmation of my estimate made on
June LIST. I then estimated the crop of the
State at 2, 413, 354 bushels. AS nearly as l
can now calculate the yield from the figures
Of my correspondents it differs from that
estimate by Just one-thiud Of one per cent,
and the crop will be about 2, 405, 044 bush
els.
Condition for the whole State Al 20 per ct.
Acreage. ..........................-.7O.00 "