production, may be relied ui^on as substantially correct. Indeed, they 

 furnish abundant internal evidence of correctness in the clearness of 

 their mirroring of all results of local causes of fluctuation. These prices 

 are those of home markets, and furnish the only known data for show- 

 ing what the farmer actually receives for his produce before it passes 

 into the hands of the shippers and dealers. 



YIELD OF FARM CROPS OF 1873. 



Corn. — It was said of the harvest of 1873, "there is no State in which 

 corn is a crop of any general importance which reports the yield of last 

 year." The crop of the past year is not only under average, but it is 

 less than that of the previous one. The following comparison gives the 

 figures of the past two years for several of the large corn-ijroducing 

 States : 



states. 



Tennessee 

 Kentucky , 



Ohio 



Indiana... 



States. 



Illinois . 

 Iowa 



Missouri 

 Kansas . 



1873. 



21 

 29 

 23.5 

 39.1 



18 

 29.2 

 16 

 12.3 



The yields in the New England States are about the same as those 

 of last year ; those of the Middle States a little less ; and those of the 

 Southern States in most cases show a small reduction. 



The loss was occasioned by — 1, drought ; 2, chinch-bugs ; 3, grass- 

 hoppers. The latter came in overwhelming numbers, but were more 

 restricted in range than the chinches, and, unfortunately for them, came 

 too late to get more than the leavings of their more favored forerun- 

 ners. 



Wheat. — The product of wheat is greater in the aggregate than in 

 any j^revious year, exceeding 300,000,000 bushels. There was an increase 

 of acreage of fully 2,500,000. The estimates of the following States 

 compare with the previous crop as follows : 



In general terms, the yield of winter wheat was greater than in 1873, 

 and that of spring wheat less. The line of division between the winter 

 and spring wheat may be drawn from Chicago to Leavenworth and 

 Southern Colorado. About all the spring wheat east of this line is the 

 little produced in New England and Northern New York. California 

 wheat, often classed as spring wheat, and so given in the census, is 

 properly winter wheat. It is sown as soou as rains come to aid in 

 germination, and during the rainy season. 



Other f/rains. — The rate of yield of rye is greater in New England, 

 neaily the same as last year in the Middle States, and in the West is 

 not essentially different from the previous record, some of the States 

 making somewhat higher figures, and others a trifle lower. This cereal 



