BUREAU OF CROP ESTIMATES. 279 



Reports on the sugar crop of the United States and Hawaii are 

 compiled in this division. These reports are based upon actual 

 enumerations, and in this respect are an exception to the general 

 crop-reporting system of the bureau. During the year four reports 

 were made relating to beets and beet sugar, namely, acreage planted, 

 tonnage of beets sold by farmers, preliminary estimate of beets pro- 

 duced and sugar made, and after the close of the season a final esti- 

 mate of beet and sugar production. Two reports were made on the 

 Louisiana sugar industry, one in December, giving the estimated 

 tonnage of cane to be used for sugar and a final report giving the 

 annual production of sugar, as well as the tonnage and acreage of 

 cane used. One report was made for the Hawaiian industry, giving 

 the final figures for acreage and production of cane and the pro- 

 duction of cane sugar. The first annual report on maple sugar was 

 planned and completed in this division, based upon data tabulated 

 in the Division of Crop Eeports. 



As supplementary to the bureau's estimates of Durum wheat pro- 

 duction the Division of Crop Records made its tenth annual estimate 

 of the total exports of Durum wheat from the United States, which 

 was based upon reports received from various commercial agencies 

 and transportation companies. 



A large number of special compilations were made for the Secre- 

 tary, the Assistant Secretary, other branches of the department, 

 Senators and Representatives in Congress, and other persons inter- 

 ested in agricultural statistics. A series of charts were made showing 

 for each State the annual changes in acreage for each principal crop 

 from 1866 to 1915, inclusive. The average yield per acre for each 

 principal crop for 1915 was computed by counties. This completes 

 a five-year record of average yields by counties. 



MONTHLY CROP REPORTS. 



During the year the bureau issued estimates of the numbers, prices, 

 and value of different classes of live stock; losses from disease and 

 exposure, number of breeding sows, and the number of stock hogs 

 compared with last year. 



Acreage estimates were made in June for barley, oats, spring 

 wheat, clover hay, and sugar cane; in July for corn, rice, potatoes, 

 sweet potatoes, cotton, flaxseed, sorghum, and tobacco ; in August for 

 buckwheat, rye, hay (tame hay, wild hay, and total) ; in September 

 for elover seed, and in December for rye and winter wheat. Acreage 

 remaining after abandonment was estimated for winter wheat and 

 rye in May and for cotton in December. 



Monthly during the crop season estimates were made of the condi- 

 tion of the growing crops as a percentage of normal for cereals, in- 

 cluding barley, buckwheat, corn, oats, rice, wheat (spring and win- 

 ter), forage, including alfalfa hay, alfalfa for seed, bluegrass for 

 seed, Canadian peas, clover for hay, clover for seed, cowpeas, hay 

 (tame hay, wild hay, and total), kafir, meadows, millet, pasture, 

 and timothy; fruits, including apples, apricots, blackberries, canta- 

 loupes, cranberries, grapefruit, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, and 

 watermelons; vegetables, including dry beans, lima beans, velvet 

 beans, cabbages, cauliflower (California), celery (California), 

 onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes; miscellaneous, in- 



