363 



New York and Kansas report tbeliighest condition, 10 per cent, above 

 average. Maine, New Hampshire, Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio, 

 Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, and Oregon, are full average or above The 

 other hop-producing States are below average, ranging from 99 in Penn- 

 sylvania to 83 in Minnesota. 



HAY AND PASTUEES. 



The rains injured a large amount of hay by delaying the cutting beyond 

 the proper time, and still larger quantities by damages between cutting 

 and securing. But they had a compensating effect in producing extraor- 

 dinary second crops, which have generally been secured in good con- 

 dition. The grasshoppers in some localities were especially destructive 

 upon timothy ; but such injuries were compensated by crops of prairie 

 and other wild grass, almost uni^recedented in quantity and of unusu- 

 ally good quality. The hay-product in that section is, therefore, not 

 only very large compared with last year, but above average. 



Our returns show that the practice of providing against the danger of a 

 deficiency in the ordinarj^ crop by sowing millet and Hungarian grass is 

 on the increase, and with very favorable results. In Lauderdale, Alabama, 

 large quantities of both kinds were sown, producing excellent crops well 

 secured. In Fayette, Mississippi, a large area of millet yielded a very 

 heavy crop. An unusual quantity was grown in Independence, Arkan- 

 sas, and in Newton it is superseding oats. In Tennessee, Bledsoe 

 reports that large crops were raised, producing more to the acre than 

 anything else ; and Morgan, that it is " the only product tjie farmers can 

 boast of," yielding 3^ to 4 tons to the acre. In Saginaw, Michigan, a 

 quantity three times greater than ever before was sown, with the best 

 results in yield and curing. In Missouri, Clay harvested very little 

 timothy or clover, but "millet and Hungarian grass were substituted, 

 and did well;" in Cass, where^the hay-crop was destroyed by grasshop- 

 pers, millet yielded a first-rate crop. Vernon produced greater crops of 

 millet and Hungarian grass than ever before, the farmers taking the 

 hint from the fact that grasshoppers, chinches, and drought had con- 

 spired to almost entirely destroy timothy and other tame grasses the 

 I)revious season. Holt met the destruction of timothy by grasshoppers 

 in the same way ; and Maries saved, in good condition, a very fine crop 

 of Hungarian grass. In Wyandotte, Kansas, a heavy crop of these 

 grasses was produced ; and in Leavenworth, where timothy and clover 

 were totally lost, they were raised in sui3icieut quantities to bring the 

 figures for hay up to 110. 



The States returning a product of timothy larger than last year are, 

 Maine, 107 5 North Carolina and California, lOG ; Arkansas, 109 -, Ten- 

 nessee, West Virginia, and Indiana, 103 ; Kentucky and Iowa, 115 ; 

 Oh^), 105; Wisconsin, 101; Nebraska, 126. The relative decrease is 

 greurest in New Jersey, 63 ; Massachusetts and Connecticut, 72 ; and 

 Kansas, 77. Other States range between 79 and 100 per cent, of last 

 year's crop. 



The only States in which the condition of timothy, when harvested, 

 was above average are, North Carolina, 103 ; Mississippi, 104 ; Arkan- 

 sas, 106; and Oregon, 101. In Vermont, Wisconsin, and Kansas it 

 was average. It was lowest in Illinois, 64. Indiana was 74 j Ohio, 77; 

 other States from 80 to 99. 



The States returning a product of hay of all kinds equal to last year's 

 are North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Michigan. The crop was 

 greater in Maine, 109 ; Mississippi, 118 ; Louisiana, 126 ; Arkansas, 120 ; 

 3 A 



