30 



quality and texture as far down as they go in digging wells — 10 to 75 

 feet. Everything pertaining to farming is improving and extend- 

 ing. Almost all farm work is done by the most improved implements, 

 mowers, reapers, headers, thrashers, etc. ; many thousands are spent 

 in this way annually, and perhaps beyond economy or profit. By rea- 

 son of grasshoppers and potato-beetles, 1873 and 1874 had been the worst 

 crop for years ever known here ; yet there is more corn in 1874 than 

 ever before, and more cattle and hogs have been shipped since Septem- 

 ber 1st than in any former year. The stock of hogs is of good blood, and 

 though every pig that can be got into market has been, or will be, sold, 

 there are now many more hogs than at this time last year. Corn, wheat, 

 oats, potatoes, buckwheat, barley, sorghum, and garden- vegetables do 

 "well. Prairie-hay is so good and abundant that tame grasses are not 

 raised, though they might be successfully. Apples, grapes, and such 

 fruits succeed, but not peaches. 



Manufactures needed. — Bedford, Tenn. : The financial pressure 

 is very great in this State, and I fear will be until there is a larger num- 

 ber induced to engage in manufacturing. South of this, there is but little 

 demand for stock, and being forced to get almost all our supplies else- 

 where, the State is kept drained of money. Under these circumstances 

 stock-raising cannot be made very profitable. 



Failuee of water. — Columbia^ Wu. : Water in the earth, during 

 the last five or six years, has been constantly, steadily settling ; so that 

 most of our wells have had to be deepened in order to have water. 

 What are we coming to ? A barren waste ? Or can we do something 

 to moisten our' climate ? 



Cultivated grasses in Texas. — Bosque : The blue-grass sent me 

 from the Department was sown on the 1st of January, 1874, on good 

 timbered bottom-land. It was well plowed and harrowed over twice, 

 the seed sown, and a large roller run over to press it iu. The result is, 

 I secured a good stand which stood the drought well during the last hot 

 summer. Since the rains it has grown to the height of about 10 inches, 

 and to-day looks like the spring of the year. I am satisfied it will suc- 

 ceed well in our timber-bottoms and be of great benefit in wintering our 

 stock. The Alsike clover is also doing well and may prove to be of 

 benefit to us. 



Grape-culture in Xew York. — Steuben : The grape vintage in 

 this county is finished and the crops marketed. The aggregate exceeds 

 6,000 tons. The wine company have bought 2,500 tons, and the remainder 

 were marketed in Xew York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, at an 

 average of $100 net per ton. The area in vineyards is about 4,500 

 acres. 



Association. — Steuben, N'. Y. : The Granger action for the year has 

 produced beneficial '■*^«'\l.ts tor,farmers. The middlcrmen have not been 

 able to reduf' ^ ' * "'^ese, pork, barley, corn, and oats 



are ' ' "'^ compelled to pay them. 



^ou so much," but, 



^ begins to pay." 



'^''olling the 



