MONTHLY EEPOET. 



DEPARTiEENT OF AGEICULTURE, 



Statistical Division, March 25, 1874. 

 Sir : 1 present herewith, for publication, a digest of the returns of 

 March upon certain tendencies of progress in agriculture, with the 

 results of a special statistical investigation of the status of tlie last 

 cotton-crop, as to comparative quality, causes of injury, length of 

 cotton season, &c. ; a statistical inquiry relative to the quantity and 

 quality of the tobacco-crop; a synopsis of a recent Austrian official 

 report on forest-culture; chemical memoranda; botanical notes ; market 



reports, &c. 



Eespectfully, 



J. K. DODGE, 



Statistician. 

 Hon. Frederick Watts, 



Commissioner. 



REPORT ON CONDITION OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE MOST PEOFITABLE CROPS. 



What branch of agriculture has been most profitaMe in your county the 

 imst year f — This was one of the inquiries in our circular returnable 

 March 1. Our correspondents have very geuerally responded. A dem- 

 onstration of superior absolute profit in the culture of particular crops 

 was not intended, as profits vary from year to year, witli changing con- 

 ditions of supply and demand. Profits also vary with variable fertility 

 of soil, adaptation of soil to crops, and differing skill and economy in 

 culture. Aside from these causes of difierence of oi>iuion and state- 

 ment, another prominent bar to such a demonstration would inevitably 

 be the want of accurate record of expense and receipts, the general 

 neglect of thorough book-keeping in farm accounts, resulting in frag- 

 mentary or incomplete statements, Nor would a mere record of current 

 receipts and disbursements suffice ; it would be necessary to calculate 

 exactly the value of both manures and manipulation upon crops of sub- 

 sequent years — a height in the mathematics of farm economy to which 

 neither practice nor science has fully attained. It was believed, how- 

 ever, that valuable data, even though fragmentary, would be obtained 

 relative to the cost and income of particular crops, showing incidentally 

 the amount and kind of culture, the local yield and prices; and also 

 that expressed preferences of different sections would show in a general 

 way what are actuall^f the popular and paying branches of husbandry, 

 as at present managed, in those localities. The number of these details 



