355 



CROP RETURNS FOR SEPTEMBER. 



The schedules for returns bearing date September 1, to which responses have 

 been full and general, embraced mainly items concerning the current condition 

 of fall crops, of which decisive information will be given in succeeding returns. 



Sorghum. — Xew Jersey, Indiana, Kansas, Ai-kansas and Texas, report 

 average prospects; Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa, stand very 

 slightly below an average; the southern States vary greatly, from three-tenths 

 in Louisiana and South Carolina, five-tenths in Georgia and Alabama, eight- 

 tenths in Mississippi and Xorth Carolina, to eight and a half in Virginia. 



Grapes. — The indications are not favorable for a heavy crop. Ohio, eight- 

 tenths ; Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, nine to nine and a half tenths. In 

 the south the returns are not full enough to be reliable, and vary from five- 

 tenths to ten-tenths. 



Hal/. — This crop is short in quantity in the Xew England States, the middle 

 and central western, from one to three-tenths, but larger than an average in the 

 trans-Mississippi States. The quality is generally a full average or above it. 



Stock hogs. — An increase over 18G5 is reported in Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, 

 Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, as well as a slight increase in Kentucky; 

 an average in Connecticut, Xew York, and Xew Jersey ; nearly an average iu 

 Illinois aid the Xew England States. 



Corn. — Evei-y where throughout the north the record is favorable for corn, 

 both as to acreage and condition. In Indiana, only a single county made return 

 of less than 12-tenths ; Ohio and Kentucky, 11-tenths; Illinois, 9.4-tenths ; 

 Michigan, 10.8. In point of condition few States, except in the south, fall be- 

 low 10-tenths. Virginia, 8.2; Xorth Carolina, 6; South Carolina, 3.5; Georgia, 

 4.7 ; Florida, 7 ; Alabama, 4.7 ; iMississippi, 4 4 ; Louisiana, 5 ; Texas, 9.7 ; 

 Arkansas, 5.6 ; Tennessee, 9. The present crop will, undoubtedly, be the 

 largest ever known, amounting to more than a thousand millions of bushels. 

 Apprehensions have been felt that a killing frost might supervene and produce 

 immense damage, as the ripening was everywhere in a backward condition. 

 Reports have just been received of an injurious frost in Illinois. If it has 

 escaped essential damage thus far, future frosts can scarcely be expected to 

 do much damage. 



Potatoes and "root croj^s." — "Roots" and tubers are in excessive supply and 

 in excellent condition. Illinois, Missouri, and Delaware, with a few of the 

 southern States, are the only States returning less than an average crop of 

 potatoes. 



Gardens. — No item in the list makes so good and uniform a show as this. 

 Only Delaware and Mississippi fall below 10, and Texas and Missouri reach 12, 



Hops. — More than an average. 



CuTTux. — Reference is made to extracts from letters in another place, indi- 

 cating some of the drawbacks which have beset cotton culture, especially during 

 the present season. The derangement of labor, and the seeding of land to 

 weeds and noxious grasses during the past years of war and Avaste have neces- 

 sarily increased the ordinary hindrances to successful culture. But the induce- 

 ments were worthy of the most daring and persistent attempt. It is too early 

 yet to predict the result of the year's efforts with certainty. Insect enemies 

 may yet affect the result. Our corps of observers is not sufficiently complete 

 to warrant a reliable estimate of the amount of cotton to be expected ; but we 

 give the result of their estimates, (each for his own county,) fairly compiled 

 and computed, as a basis of estimates for the several States, to be modified, of 

 course, as more complete information is obtained in the progress of the cotton 



