St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-22
TIMELY TOPICS.

The United States department of ag-
riculture has issued an album of Ag-
ricultural Graphics," which shows the
value per acre of the crops of the United
States, based on the results of inyesti-
CATION under the direction of the statis-
tlclan. 1t is elegantly illustrated by
large charts, beautifully colored, so as
TO show the range of values of various
productions, whether Indian corn, wheat.
oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, potatoes,
tobacco, cotton or hay, in each and
every state. As work of art this album
is really superb, and the arrangement
for conveying clear idea of the sub
jects in hand is highly creditable to the
interchangeable secretary. In the StatiS-
tician's letter of Submittal he observes
to the secretary: 1.-The value of crops
in any single year would not be Just as
record of comparative values. because
of the great variation in quantity from
year to year; therefore the average of
ten consecutive years is made the basis
of comparison, securing an absolutely
fair result, for which no data can be
found except in the annual estimates of
values of farm products of this depart
ment, which are accepted as the most
accurate and reliable of the work of
our crop reporters" The album NAV be
regarded as of great Importance to
statesmen. StatiSts and interested clti-
ZenS.
The New York Herald says: The
largest British harveStS, according to
statistics in the last issue of Nature,
have been in those years in which the
sun eXerted most power, and when from
midsummer until fall ripening, inter-
mIttent glowing heat, with fewest in
% Mi of oln
lty, was experienced. The law holds
good for the United Kingdom, and
measurably so for America, with the
important exception that excessive
prouth is prejudicial in America to an
abundant yield. But In the former, the
chief meteorological element to be
dreaded is an excess of rainfall. On
neither side of the ocean is it true. how
ever, that cold winter is necessarily
fatal to the production of good crop in
the ensuing summer. A backward
state of the crop in the spring some
times precedes an unusually fine yield
III our wheat belt. On the above rules,
1t is feared the English wheat crop this
year may be very poor. Nature seems
to lean to this conclusion, as it SAYS:
The probabilities seem in favor of
cold and wet summer" which is usual
ly inimical to the British farmer.
The total yield of wool for this year
was 29S, .723 pounds, while that of
1890 was 309,474,956. The agricultural
report indicated loss of 9O4, 600 sheep
and 100000 pounds of wool, but this
loss was merely i'll few states. The
states east of Pennsylvania generally
lost, including loss of over 10000
pounds in New York. but Pennsylvania
gained 633, 900. Between the Pennsyl-
yania border and the Mississippi five
Northern states gained in wool produc-
ton more than 100000 pounds. The
five prairie states beyond them made no
change worth notice, but again Ill the
mountain region four states and three
territories gained over 100000 pounds.
Thus, the older and the newer regions
of fine fleece-growing west of New York
increased in yield, while east, south and
west of these regions there were losses.
Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia
showed slight gains, but most of the
Southern states slight losses. The agri-
cultural department and Mr.. Truitt
l4ath added 40700.000 "a ths pyoballe