151 



better appearance than was expected iu TTashiugton is reported ; tliero 

 has been imicli injury in Frederick and Montgomery, and the other 

 wheat-growing coautfes in Western Maryland. It looks well in Anne 

 Arundel and Queen Anne, and prouiising in Worcester and Dorchester. 

 In Howard, Prince George's, Calvert, Charles, and Saint Mary's the 

 prospect is not flattering. An absence of snow and the prevalence of 

 sleet in the tobacco-counties has been injurious to wheat-fields. 



Returns from sixty-eight counties iu Virginia, most of which produce 

 wheat, indicate a condition below average. Of the returns that express 

 ji positive opinion, twecity-eight report average, twenty-seven infeiior, 

 and nine high eouditiou. Among the more favorable returns are those 

 from Pittsylvania, Middlesex, Spottsylvania, Orange, Madison, Craig, 

 Matthews, Grayson, Henrico, aiid Greenville. Clarke presents the most 

 unpromising appearance since 1836 ; in the iron-ore lauds crops apj^ear 

 better. The coldest season in twenty-one years is reported from 

 Spottsi'lvania. The absence of snow is complained of iu the lower 

 counties, with frequent and sudden changes of temperature. Clover- 

 fallows in Westmoreland, manured with fish-guano and snperphosphate, 

 present a fine appearance, while neglected fields are bare and dry. 

 There is a fair prospect that a more hopeful appearance will be presented 

 in iMay. 



There are fifty-six reports from North Carolina, and in all but four of 

 the counties represented wheat is grown to some extent. A medium 

 condition may be claimed for the whole area, about a dozen counties re- 

 porting above average, and a,s many below. The crop is quite promising 

 in Gaston^ 20 per cent, better than osual in Pitt; a good stand iu Davie, 

 the early sown being superior; above average on land well prepared in 

 Wake; looks extremely well in Greene: better than for years iu Duplin ; 

 find gives a fair promise in thirty-three other counties. Farmers are 

 jiot only giving this crop great breadth, but are paying far more attention 

 to a propei' preparation for seeding. In South Carolina bot little atten- 

 tion is paid to wheat, and the crop is somewhat below average in con- 

 dition. It promises well in Greenville, Eichland, Barnwell, Edgefield, 

 and Marion. 



There is a marked increase of the small area of wheat in the Gulf 

 States, except Florida and Louisiana, where it is scarcely grown at all. 

 Of seventy-four counties reporting in Georgia, fifty-eight refer to the 

 wheat-crop, thirty indicating average prospects, twenty-three superior, 

 and only live int<?rior condition. In McDuffie the finest condition in six 

 years is claimed; and high extjectations are raised in Dooly, Lnm[)kin, 

 Oglethorpe, De Kalb, Muscogee, Gwinnett, Jefferson, White, Meriwether, 

 Elbert, Spalding, Coweta, Baker, Macon, and Maury. In Alabama the 

 condition is also above average, but few counties give much attention 

 to small grain. The early sown is better than the late, and that sown 

 on uplands better than on bottom-lands, on account of rains and over- 

 flows. In Franklin the practice of harrowing wheat promises great re- 

 sults. The crop is quite a promising one in Mississippi, though covering 

 a very small area. In Smith County the wheat prospect is better than 

 for ten years, and in Le Flore five times the area of last year is sown. In 

 jSToxubee that grown upon soil fertilized with twenty-five bushels of cot- 

 ton-seed is vastly superior to that on unmanured fields. Wheat experi- 

 ments in the northern part of Louisiana are more frequent than usual 

 this year, and more promising. 



There are returns from fifty-nine Texas counties, thirty-seven of which 

 produce more or less wheat. Of these there are eighteen indicating av- 

 erage, fifteen superior^ and only four inferior condition, which make^ 



