^442 



THE TEEEITORIES. 



Arizona. — Governor M'Cormick, formerly chief clerk of tins department, and 

 ever alive to the interests of agriculture, thus alludes to that interest iu his 

 message : 



"The valleys of the Territory, more extensively cultivated this year than 

 ever before, have produced an abundant harvest. The yield of corn, vegetables, 

 and small grain is such as to prove that henceforth we need not look abroad for 

 food ; and I makb no doubt that if assured that their crops will be bought and 

 promptly paid for, and they are properly protected from Indian incursions, our 

 ranchmen will, during the ensuing year, by the favor of Heaven, raise all the 

 breadstuffs that may be required to subsist the military force in the Territory. 

 Here in central Arizona, even in the moitntain districts, where comparatively 

 little was expected in the way of agricultural success, the pursuit of the hus- 

 bandman is likely to be one of the most profitable. The heavy rains of the 

 present season indicate that irrigation will seldom be necessary, and the fertility 

 of the soil is remarkable. It seems as though everything planted attained the 

 most luxuriant and complete growth in the shortest possible time. The grains, 

 vegetables, and melons, taken promisqpDusly from any of the ranches, and raised 

 without fertilization of any kind, or other than the simplest care, would com- 

 mand a premium if placed in competition with the products of the richest and 

 most expensive farms and gardens of the Atlantic States." 



Colorado. — It is stated that in this enterprising young Territory, diu-ing the 

 past year, one hundred and thirty-six miles of irrigating ditches have been con- 

 structed at a cost of one hundred and thirty-six thousand dollars; and that in 

 the land office the claims and entries for the first ten months in 1865 were one 

 hundred and forty-one thousand acres. For the same time this year the entries 

 and claims have been two hundred and fifty-one thousand acres. These lands 

 could only be taken by pre-emption and homestead claims, and consequently 

 the claims are made for actual settlement. 



CONDITION OF THE CROPS. 



The tables for November show the condition, compared with last year, of corn;, 

 gorghum, potatoes, peas, hay, beans, buckwheat, flax, cotton, sugar-cane, grapes., 

 apples, pears. 



The corn crop of the States, exclusive of eleven southern and the Pacific 

 States, was estimated for 1865, in round numbers, at 704,000,000 bushels. 

 The same States in 1866 yield an estimated product of 679,000,000, a decline of 

 25,000,000 bushels in quantity, a deficiency in quality equivalent to 75,000,000 

 more, making a difference in the feeding value of the crop, 100,000,000 bushels, 

 between this and the previous year. 



The South made a great effort for a good supply of this indispensable food for 

 man and beast, and succeeded better than was expected. The data of the 

 department, though not so full as to secure a close approximation, indicates a 

 yield of 185,000,000 bushels in eleven States against 274,000,000 in 1859, a 

 reduction amounting to 89,000,000 bushels. 



The total amount of coin grown throughout the limits of the United States 

 in 1866 is assumed to be about 880,000,000 bushels. 



It is a singular fact that the wheat crop has declined in quantity for three 

 years, not only in this country but in England, in about the same proportion ; 



