476 



tliis respect. It is remarkable that none of our reports from tliis State 

 contain any complaints of injury from frost, while all the other States 

 of this section will have a large proportion of soft corn, either from 

 frost or imperfect ripening. Of the Middle States, New York and Penn- 

 sylvania report poor quality, while New Jersey and Delaware have 

 sounder corn than in 1874. In Maryland and Virginia the quality of 

 thie crop is above average, in spite of local injuries ; but in the other 

 Atlantic Coast States the quantity is deficient. Complaints of rotten or 

 chaffy corn are frequent in this region, while on the other hand the crop 

 is regarded in many places as the best for many years. Of the Gulf 

 States and Southern inland States, Florida and West Virginia report the 

 average quality low, while all the others report crops of better quality 

 than last year. The improvement in Arkansas is especially marked, 

 being estimated at over 50 per cent. Local injuries from storms de- 

 pressed the general average below what it would otherwise have been. 

 Of the States north of the Ohio, only Illinois reports a crop equal to last 

 year's in quality. The more northern counties report the greatest de- 

 pression, which resulted from heavy frosts or cold, wet, autumnal weather. 

 Floods and storms were especially destructive to crops in the larger val- 

 leys, but the injury from this source was greatly exaggerated in the first 

 reports of the newspaper press. Kotten and chaffy corn will be in 

 excess. The same causes injured the quality of the crop in Minnesota 

 and Iowa, while in Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska,. the improvement 

 in the quality of the crop keeps pace with its astonishing increase of 

 yield. Early-planted crops were especially prolific and good. Local 

 prices have been greatly depressed by large yields. On the Pacific coast 

 the quality of the crop is nearly equal to last year. 



Maine. — Sagadahoc: Injured to some extent Ity early frosts. CuuilerJand : lujui'ed 

 uy early frost. 



New Hampshire. — Bocldnyluim : The crop large, ripe, and sound throughont the 

 county. 



Vermont. — Ruthuid : Did not ripen perfectly. LamoiJIs : Prevented from fully 

 ripening by a heavy frost September 23. 



Massachusetts. — Berkshire: Much soft corn. 



Connecticut. — New London. : A little injured by frosts. 



New York. — Delaware : A heavy frost June 14, and another September 23, made a 

 short corn season. ^^Imcchs .•' Very sound, and turns out, on being husked, much bet- 

 ter than last year. WasJiington : The crop injured materially by a large white grub. 

 Steuien : Affected by frost. Warren : A heavy growth of stalks, but not so well eared 

 as usual, in proportion, and moi'e soft corn. Genesee : Not well ripened when the 

 frost came. Early planted was not much injured, but fields planted late are of little 

 value. One acre of the best is of as mnch value as ten of the poorest. Saratoga : 

 Injured by early frosts; very early planted line. JVayne : Badly injured by the 

 cold season. Wyoming: Injured some by frost. Ontario: Much soft. Sullivan: 

 Much soft. 



New Jersey. — Ocean : The lightest crop harvested for many years, owing to ex- 

 tremely dry weather during the whole growing season. BurVinqton : Seldom favored 

 with such a large crop. Hudson : The ears not so large or well tilled as usual. Salem : 

 Exceedingly good; 25 per cent, above average. 



Pennsylvania. — Clearfield : Frosts in June, drenching rains in July and August, and 

 early frosts in September have injured the crop materially — more in quality than 

 quantity, the great bulk being soft. Clinton : Late fields did not mature before the frost. 

 Perry: The largest crop ever produced, and of good quality. Elk: Killing fi'osts in 

 September injured almost all the crop ; some fields not ])roduciug one sound ear in a 

 bushel, and scarcely any ripening well. Montgomery : A full crop of very good quality. 

 Westmoreland: A much larger portion of the crop than nsual immature. York: The 

 largest yield within a farmer's lifetime. Armstrong : Good on the hills, but the valleys 

 frost-bitten ; one-half soft. Chester : The largest yield for years, but more moldy 

 corn than usual. Camhria : A great amount of soft corn, owing to late planting and 

 early frost. Sullivan: One-fourth or more has not ripened. Bedford: Good crop in 

 stalk and ear, but much of it not matured when frost came; 60 per cent, of late corn 

 soft. Beaver: A great amount of soft corn. Indiana: More soft corn than -was ex- 



