232 



A very interesting aud valuable series of tables is given this month, showing 

 the average yield of the principal farm products per acre for four years past, and 

 the average cash value of the same for each of the four years, aud for the whole 

 period. 



A comparison of the farm stock of the United States and of the countries of 

 Europe, from official and other reliable data, shows that no country equals this 

 in numbers of cattle or sheep, and especially of swine, either in proportion to 

 population, or in totals exhibited. 



Our depreciation in farm stock since 1860 is estimated at ten per cent, for 

 horses, twenty per cent, for mules, seven per cent, for cattle, and twenty per 

 cent, for swine. The numbers of sheep have doubled in the northern States in 

 the same period. 



The following is the order of the nations named in proportion of population to 

 cattle supply : United States, 1.2 people to each head of cattle ; Denmark, 1.4 ; 

 Bavaria, 1.5; Sweden, 2; Hanover, 2.2 ; Austria, 2.5; France, 2.6; Holland, 

 2.7 ; Russia, 2.9 ; Prussia, 3.2 ; Great Britain, 3.5 ; Belgium, 3.6 ; Spain, 5.3. 



A brief synopsis is made from a translation of original official reports of experi- 

 ments in vaccination for rinderpest, received from the Russian minister, tending 

 to throw light upon the character and peculiarities of the disease. 



Among the statistical expositions will be found an analysis of the statistics of 

 cotton culture in the principal cotton-growing States, with a location and brief 

 description of the best cotton soils. 



A notice of the Brazilian exhibition at Rio de Janeiro is from data furnished 

 by the Brazilian minister of state. 



A change has occurred in the conduct of the statistical division, the head of 

 which is ex officio editor of the reports. J. R. Dodge, heretofore occupying a re- 

 sponsible position in this department, w^as last month appointed statistician, in 

 place of Lewis Bollman, resigned. 



ISAAC NEWTOX, Commissioner. 



