26 



Levy, Fla. — The season ha^ been more favorable for crops tban for several years 

 previous. There was enongh corn made to supply the home demand if it were dis- 

 tributed, but we are so favorably situated to get supplies from New Orleans that it 

 does not pay to haul corn a long way unless it can be bought for less than $1 per 

 bnshel, and fanners are not inclined to sell at less than that. Corn from New Orleans 

 can be delivered anywhere along the railroad and coast for less than $1, but farmers 

 prefer to pay that for country corn, for it is always sold on the ear in the shuck, a 

 flour-barrel of ears being counted a bushel and good corn will shell from one to four 

 quarts over a bushel to the barrel. 



The cotton-crop is turning out better than was expected when it was first struck 

 ■with the rust. The yield in this county is far ahead of last year. The crop is mostly 

 of the black seed long-staple, though there was more than usual of the grey seed 

 short-staple planted. That did well in some lands. The long-staple does the best on 

 light sandy land, and the short on the heavy clay lands. Long cotton is selling at 

 Bronson in the seed at 3 cents per pound cash ; 6 cents in trade. 



Kemper, Miss. — The corn-crop is very short, and corn will have to be shipped from the 

 west if farms are to be cultivated the ensuing year. My impression is that many of the 

 laborers employed this year will find it difficult to get employment next. They have 

 generally worked badly. As they work on shares they do not consider the time lost as 

 affecting the emjiloyer, and they are not disposed to hire for wages, although the result 

 would be favorable' if they worked as they should. The crop of cotton in this county 

 will probably be equal to that of last year, owing to a greater breadth of land in culti- 

 vation. 



Flax. — Warren, N. Y. — Flax has nearly become one of the products of the past, since 

 it requires more hand-labor than farmers can make j>rofitable in raising it. 



Foi-d, III. — Flax has become a favorite crop with our farmers, at $1.60 per bushel for 

 the seed. It seems to promise more than corn, besides a mill here gives us a ready 

 market for the straw. 



Portage, Wis. — A good deal of flax was sown for the seed only ; the yield is eight to 

 ten bushels per acre. Price, .$1.50 per bushel. 



Stearns, Miun. — Flax is becoming a staple with us. It will be extensively sown 

 another year. Average yield this year 20 bushels of seed per acre ; price, !|1.30. 



Moniteau, Mo. — Flax is becomiug an important crop for the seed alone ; but it im- 

 poverishes the land so much that I am trying to discourage its culture. 



Bates, Mo. — Many of our farmers tried' flax for the first time and find it a decided 

 success, some crops yielding 22 to 25 bushels of seed per acre. 



Cass, Mo. — There seems to be an inclination to sow flax for seed. 



Fraiiklin, Kan. — Flax-seed has been sown the last two years, aud those who have 

 tried it speak favorably of it as a paying crop. 



Washington, iV^fe.— Black crickets destroyed the flax-seed to such a degree that we 

 are discouraged about raising it. 



RECENT PRO(iRESS IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



[It has been thought desirable to present a succinct yet comprehensive statement of 

 the results of the later investigations in applied science, so far as they relate to agri- 

 culture, and the following, by Prof Wilbur O. Atwater, of the Wesleyan University, 

 at Middletown, Conn., whose fitness for the work may be deemed in some respects un- 

 eqnaled, is submitted, in the hope that intelligent farmers may make a profitable 

 application in daily practice. — Ed. Rep.] 



It is our purpose to give a description of some of the more iiiiportant 

 phases of the later progress and present status of agricultural science, 

 especially in the application of chemistry and physiology to the study 

 of the laws of animal and vegetable nutrition and growth. The 

 production of animals and plants being the chief purpose of agriculture 

 the laws of their production constitute a most important part of agri- 

 cultural science. 



