195 



some damage, and more is feared. Thayer •■ Prospect never better ; no grasshoppers to 

 speak of. 



California. — Sun Joaquin : Injured tlae first part of April 1)y a cold wave. No rain 

 since February. Alameda: The severe drought since the 1st of February with hot nortli 

 winds has injured all grain-crops very much. Large breadths of wheat have been cut for 

 hay to save it. Contra Costa : The promise, until the 1st of April, was never excelled. 

 Then the entire failure of the usual spring-rains and the setting in of desiccating winds from 

 the north begin to tell on sandy soils and on lands poorly cultivated. Merced: Think the 

 Clawson wheat sent me by the Department will surpass any variety in yield I have ever 

 seen. Stanislaus : The fields very spotted, owing to drought. 



Oregon. — Lynn : The best prospect for both fall and spring wheat that I have seen for 

 twenty-one years. Umatilla : Never looked better. 



Colorado. — El Paso : Spring-wheat deficient, owing to grasshoppers. 



Utah. — San Pete : Both winter and spring wheat promise well. Morgan : Injured on 

 low lands by frost on 26th of May. 



New Mexico. — Taos : Looks bad, owing to frosts. 



Dakota. — Davison : Never saw better-looking. Lincoln : Never looked better. 



COTTON. 



In a larger portion of the cotton area, at the usual time for planting, 

 the soil was wet and cold in Atlantic coast districts, and in a less de- 

 gree in more western areas, aud germination was retarded, but not de- 

 stro^^ed. Afterward, the weather became favorable for growth and the 

 chopping out process, with a tendency in i)laces to an injurious lack of 

 moisture. A frost on the 19th of May, in IS^orth Carolina, destroyed 

 cotton on certain swamp-lands. Late frosts were somewhat injurious 

 in all the States except Florida and Texas. 



The stand is much better than that of last year, and the plants more 

 advanced in growth, notwithstanding their late start 5 and the crop is 

 generally quite clean. No serious injury has been done by insects, 

 though the cut-worm is noticed in some counties of Florida, Texas and 

 Arkansas ; the plant has been infested with lice in some fields in Florida. 



The threatened reduction in area has not been accomplished. While 

 there has been an increase in corn and wheat, it has not been at the ex- 

 pense of cotton. Nor has the reduced area of last year been much 

 enlarged. Our returns make only 1 to 2 i^er cent, increase. There is 

 only one State (Georgia) which has an ofiScial bureau for the collection ot 

 crop-statistics, which makes the reduction of acreage 5 per cent., which 

 is within 1 j)er cent, of the result returned by our own corps in that 

 State. The comparison with last j'ear is as follows : North Carolina, 

 102 ; South Carolina, 106 ; Georgia, 96 ; Florida, 99 ; Alabama, 104 ; 

 Mississippi, 102 5 Louisiana, 101 ; Texas, 108 j Arkansas, 101 ; Tennes- 

 see, 92. 



The maximum June condition of cotton, for a period of five seasons, 

 was reported in 1872. The order for the other four is 1875, 1873, 1871, 

 1874. The comparison with a crop of full vitality and normal growth 

 in all respects is for the present mouth as follows : North Carolina, 92 ; 

 South Carolina, 97 ; Georgia, 91 ; Florida, 94 ; Alabama, 101 ; Mis- 

 sissippi, 100; Louisiauii, 95; Texas, 90; Arkansas, 90; Tennessee, 99. 



An investigation has been undertaken for the correction of the basis 

 of area in cotton in vogue for years past. The statistician has for years 

 had strong reasons for believing the area heretofore reported in cotton 

 to have been too small. For the past two years he has had a demon- 

 stration of that belief, and has not printed an estimate since 1873. The 

 figures published in all the commercial journals are those originally re- 

 turned by our correspondents, with annual modifications in accordance 

 with yearly j)ercentages of increase or decrease. There are extant no 

 other systematic data for obtaining the acreage ; there is otherwise, in 



