MONTHLY REPOET. 



Department of Agriculture, June, 1866. 



The condition of tlie crops, always a consideration of vital importance be- 

 tween seed-time and harvest, has excited more attention this season than for 

 many years. Apprehensions arose, not without some cause, that scarcity of 

 breadstuffs might follow the winter-killing of the cereals which was reported 

 very generally throughout the country. In some portions of the central wheats 

 growing States an almost entire failure seemed inevitable. 



I am happy to be able to say that apprehensions of scarcity, which might 

 threaten compulsory economy of consumption, or warrant extraordinary prices, 

 are groundless. With the stock of wheat on hand, and the substitution of corn 

 and buckwheat for wheat, which always attends highly remunerative prices of 

 flour, there is a present prospect for an ample supply for all our wants, and 

 enough to spare to send to Europe twice the amount of the paltry exports of 

 breadstuffs of the last year. 



From a careful analysis of statistical returns, with due regard to the usual 

 average product and present losses of each State, the prospect on the first of 

 June was for seven-tenths of a crop. With favorable weather, and absence 

 from casualties before harvesting, the indications point to three-fourths of an ave 

 rage total yield of wheat. 



Indiana seems to have suffered most from winter-killing. Appearance, thirty- 

 four per cent. Ohio, 4-tenths. But Indiana has 4-tenths more spring wheat 

 than usual, and Ohio 2^-tenths. This should give each, of spring and winter 

 wheat together, a total of 5-tenths. Illinois promises three-fourths of a crop, 

 though the appearance of winter wheat was 7-tenths. Wisconsin, the appear- 

 ance of winter wheat 6|-tenths, a prospect for at least three-fourths of a crop. 

 Iowa, in view of the breadth of spring wheat, should give a full crop. Kansas 

 will have 15-tenths of an ordinary crop. Missouri and Minnesota will have 

 more than an average. The district west of the Mississippi, taken together, 

 promises decidedly more than an average. New York, New Jersey, and Penn- 

 sylvania each indicate 8-tenths of a crop. In New England the injury to 

 winter wheat was less than 1-tenth in New Hampshire, 24 per cent, in Maine, 

 1-tenth in Massachusetts, and 3-tenths in Vermont and Connecticut. But these 

 States produce little winter wheat. All but Massachusetts put in an average 

 breadth of spring wheat. 



Most of the other crops look well. For particulars I refer the reader to the 

 body of the report. 



