538 
HAN: 
s 
Maine and New Hampshire report the hay crop larger than in 1872; in 
the other New England States, and in New York, the quantity is less, 
but the deficit is probably fully made up by the superior quality. Rut- 
land and Franklin Counties, Vermont, and Berkshire, Massachusetts, 
estimate that the yield, though smaller, will carry more stock through 
the winter. In Delaware and Missouri the product equals that of last 
year; in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, and 
Nebraska, it falls below; in the remaining States.itis above. Thosein 
which the per cent. of gain, compared with 1872, is greatest, are: 
Texas, 160; Oregon, 133; South Carolina, 130; Virginia, 125; Alabama, 
123; Maryland, 116; Tennessee and California, 115; West Virginia, 
114; New Hampshire, 110; Maine, 108. Those in which the per cent. of 
loss is greatest: Rhode Island, 82; Vermont and Massachusetts, 88 ; 
Wisconsin, 90; Ilinois, 91; New York and Kansas, 93. 
With rare local exceptions the returns throughout represent the 
quality and the condition in which it was cured as better than in 1872. 
In New Jersey, Gloucester, the first crop was shortened by drought, but 
the second was heavy. In Pennsylvania, Wyoming, the crop was never 
better; Armstrong, the deficiency of the first crop was made up by the 
second. In Virginia, King and Queen and Madison, report the crop 
both larger and more nutritious than last year; Dinwiddie, increased 
attention to the production of hay ; and similar reports come from Cra- 
ven, North Carolina, and Orange, South Carolina. In Florida, Rich- 
mond, the yield of cow-pea hay and Hungarian grass was 100 per cent. 
greater than last year. In Texas the hay-crop was abundant in every 
county reporting. Hamilton reports that the indigenous mesquite-grass 
excels the blue-grass from the North; Grimes, that the quantity of hay 
saved is increased year by year; Titus, that experimental hay-crops 
have yielded astonishing results; Coryell, more hay saved than ever 
before; Parker, sixty tons of Hungarian-grass raised by one farmer on 
twenty acres; Collin, considerable shipments of prairie-hay. In Ar- 
kansas, Fulton, Italian rye-grass from the Department succeeded finely. 
In Tennessee, Wilson, Hungarian-grass and millet of different kinds, 
especially German, were very productive; Wilkinson reports an increase 
of 50 per cent. in acreage, and of 30 in yield. The only specially adverse 
report from this State is from Coffee, “the third short hay-crop; no 
winter-grass for stock.”’ In Ohio, Washington reports meadows, and 
Mercer timothy, nearly run out, owing to three successive droughts ; Lo- 
rain, the crop ruined by grasshoppers, and Wyandot, by drought. 
The crop was cut short in Shiawassee, Michigan, by the backward 
spring; in Livingston, by winter-killng; and in Oakland, by the 
drought. In Perry and Edwards, Ilinois, hay was shortened by the 
army-worm. Saint Croix, Wisconsin, reports that the acreage in hay 
increases annually, and Baxter, Missouri, an increase in the cultivation 
of tame grasses. Reports, respecting both quantity and quality, are 
generally favorable from Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. Clay, in Kan- 
sas, and Sage, in Nebraska, report large quantities of hay and wheat 
stacked in the field burned by prairie fires. In Tillamook, Oregon, the 
acreage is 100 per cent. greater and the yield greater than in 1872. 
The quantity of hay produced this year in the United States is about 
500,000 tons less than last, when it was not far from 24,000,000 tons. 
Much the largest part of the decrease indicated is in New York, being 
over 316,000 tons. But as the average quality is much better than last 
year, and as pasturage throughout the country, with a few limited excep- 
