National Republican., 1886-01-09
TIE CROPS OF THE COUNTRY
sTATISTICIAN DoDGE'S REPORT IN ALL
ITS DETAILS.
The Grent Grain Resources of the
NOrthwost and Their Progress for the
Past Nonr-A Satisfactory showing for
the Farming Interests.

Department Of Agriculture, has submitted
his report for the month Of December TO
the Commissioner Of Agriculture, showing
the prices Of farm products and the area
and condition Of the fall sowing Of wheat
and rye, sc. The report is as follows
BrREAu or STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT or
Acme UiTURE, Dec. 81, 1SS5-SR; ! beg
leave respectfully to submit for publication
iCTCit Of the results Of the December re.
turns, showing the prices Of farm products
aud area and condition Of the fall sowing ut
wheat and rye. A summary Is given OF the
crop history Of the present year, and q
statement Of the estimate OF the area,
product, and aggregate value Of the crops
of corn, wheat, and oats.
The usual record of changes In rates OF
RAILROAD and steamboat transportation Is
presented. Respectfully,
j. II. DODGE, Statstican.
Hos. NORMAN ]. CoLMAN, Commissioner.
1SS5-THE CRors or THE YEAR.
Notwithstanding the fears Of many in
the early months Of the year, the season has
hecn full average of productivCness. IL
Is Tie first IN five years past TO give an
average yield Of corn, after six years OF
twCnty-siN bushels or more per acre. The
present rate exceeds the average about one.
half bushel per acre.
Oats, allied to corn In Its uses, and gov
maize, also made a high record In the sea-
sons reports Of condition, with the largest
area and greatest volume Of production
ever recorded.
Barley is a medium crop, aad buckwheat
above the average
Wheat has suffered worse from winter
killing than In any former experience OF
crop reporting In this department The
winter OF 1SS0-'Sl was only less severe, aud
that of lS73'7i was nearly as bad On the
hasls Of the area seeded the yield was only
80 bushels; on the area harvested deduct.
ing abandoned and replanted areas, which
were larger than ever before, the yield
averages l0.4pe acre. The loss was not
material In the northern belt. Michigan,
the highest latitude in which winter wheat
Is grown, suffered less than usual, and
made a large crop, one of the best recorded.
The surface was well covered with a
blanket of snow until into April. There
was some protection In northern Ohio, and
a comparatively good crop on limited
area. The loss In New York was also
slight, and not very severe in Pennsylvania,
with some exceptional areas Of greater
damage The central belt between 36o and
400 Of latitude received the full effect OF
the winters severity. The south is usually
exempt from injury by winter freezing, but
not entirely the past season. The signs Of
injury in spring were visible even in the eX-
tromessouth.
Cotton promised a large crop, on an In
creased acreage, and has made nearly
medium one, In aggregate volume exceeded
by the crop OF 1889, and approached some
what nearly only by that of 1880.
Other crops have enjoyed conditions IA
voring medium abundance, with some eX-
ceptions, notably the potato crop, which
was injured severely by rot in the latter
part of the season.
Altogether production has been abundant,
more than ample for domestic consumption,
in everything except the products which
are. always insufficient, as sugar, barley,
rice, aud subtropical fruits
= CORN.
In consequence of the injury to wheat,
the maize acreage was increased more than
usual.
The area of last year, as estimated, was
C9,GS3, $50 acres; this year %, 1870, $50 acres,
an increase Of 8 per cent The crop had
favorable start. July condition averaged
81 per cent. against SO in 1884 and 100 In
1850 High condition in July Is not abso-
lutely essential TO the production OF large
crop, yet II is favorable indication. During
the six consecutive years Of large produc-
ton, condition in July reached 100 twice,
but only In one instance, in 1877, was lower
than In July Of the present year.
II was shown that there had been a large
amount of replanting throughout the west
partly because Of defective seed used and
partly on account Of excessive moisture In
the seed bed, and prevalence OF cut-worms
that seems TO have been somewhat unusual.
The lessons of the past few years have
been expensive, but they have not taught
all the farmers the economy Of careful
ard timely selection of seed, though much
has been done In that direction by thought
ful farmers. An immense amount of labor
has been lost this season In replanting, be-
cause OF poor seed
The returns OF the 1st OF September
showed that drought in the southeastern
states had wrought some injury in the light
soils; on the northern border maturity had
been delayed by heavy rains and cool nights,
with slight frosts in high latitudes; yet
average condition had been reduced only by
single point, and the crop, In the absence
OF killing frosts, was assured. The growing
season, from termination to hardening OF
the grain, had been characterized by a mod
erately high temperature and sufficient
moisture, with local exceptions, for health
ful growth and full maturity. The meteoro-
logical conditions Of the summer had been
more favorable on the whole than any prior
season since 1880, and the promise accord
ingly of a somewhat larger rate OF yield was
reasonably sure. Itls more and more ap-
parent that agricultural meteorology, In
injection with corn-growing, is OF equal
i'm 1ortance with soil constituents, and that
failure results more from abnormal tempera
tls and rainfall than from lack Of fertility.
lsects caused no general or serious dam
rE0. In the Ohio valley and in the lower
N souri, valley grasshoppers were abundant,
con sing local injury. Chinch bugs were
reported, especially in Missouri and
N as-in some localities in immense num-
Na,.
here was exemption above the average
q frost, and therefore smaller proper
than usual Of soft corn. In an aver
a. Of series OF years one-fifth OF the crop
understandable, from frost and other
,uses OF immaturity; in bad seasons, two
"I'Ns. This year has witnessed no losses
Hail frost except upon the northern bor-
tp Corn is so general crop In all lati-
,"" s, and at elevations in some instances
% 6,OOO feet or more, that frost catches
tHl' OF II In the most favorable seasons
the product OF corn as estimated Is
''tt,lD,OOO bushels against 1,795, ,b2S, 900
;. rear, an increase OF lI0,G4S, 900 bush
.'. or rs per cent.
&c yield is 265 bushels per acre against
last year, which was very nearly an
sc crop, That Of 1882 averaged 2tG,
I' only 29.7, and the still worse crop OF
the low yield OF 1876 bushels per acre.
The present year is the first In five that
ugssys full average rate Of Weld The
j 'r' Is little more than half that OF 1881,
witch was 63.G per bushel,
Ire valuation is 32S cents per bushel
instead Of 35,7 cents last year, and the az
giegIte value is $G35G74, ,G30 less by about
sl,llO,000 than the smaller crop OF / sSi,
BE record Of estimates by states is as fol-
lows:
Acres Bushels. Value.
NllnCr..,, 3l.222 l,O0lOOl 3Ibi.3pO
~ L,,,,,,, n, ,aD l,299,OlO g!1, 80
So .."....., GliA l,p79OJ1 l2B, $50
.ils,..,." ~ GGS 1861, 900 l3i!7W
IT; ..,,.,, l2slS i1DOlO 3lS,S6I
tUuIi..,..,... hsllO 9O33O0I l9Sl7D
N. y ,..,,. 13llW G2ilSO0O 1909 SO
...... &5g&SD ll2l2OW Jgll3D
f"rI...,,., l,il7U@ AG07I,0W 21j7G 800
GI,. ....,. 9iGbg5 Il7LOJD lbigOu