308 



WOOL. 



The wool-clip was larger tban last year. In Nebraska, 151; Oregon, 

 124; California, 120; Connecticut, 117; Minnesota, 310; Texas, i04; 

 Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Indiana, 103 ; Arkansas and Missouri^ 

 102; South Carolina, 101. It was equal to last year in New Jer- 

 sey, Michigan, and Iowa. The greatest decrease, 11 per cent., was 

 in Vermont. Among the larger wool-producing States Ohio decreases 

 her clip 3 per cent.; Illinois, 4 per cent.; New York and Pennsyl- 

 vania, 2 per cent. ; Wisconsin, 3 per cent. ; Kentucky, 9 per cent. 

 There is a very marked increase of wool production in the States west 

 of the Mississippi and on the Pacific coast. 



Virginia. — Northumberland : Without protection from dogs the wool industry must per- 

 ish. Paae : Worthless dogs are cutting down the flocks of sheep. 



North Carolina. — Transylvania : Wool of better quality and sheep in better condition 

 than last year. Lincoln : Many sheep killed by dogs. O for a stringent dog-law ! 



Georgia. — PVortk: Sheep dying out. 



Texas. — Victoria: Wool production increasing. Nueces: Large increase in sheep hus- 

 bandry. 



Ohio. — Marion : Fleeces from three-quarters of a pound to a pound lighter average than 

 last year. Assessor reports 12,000 sheep less than last year. A large percentage died. The 

 flocks were poorly kept on short feed and poor corn. Monroe : Wool in improved condi- 

 tion ; better care of sheep. 



Michigan. — Calhoun: Looks well. 



Illinois. — irinnebago : Lightest clip in proportion to the number of sheep for many years 

 back. 



Wisconsin. — Fond du Lac : Clip heavier than usual per sheep ; but this is because of 

 the number lost. One farmer lost 757. 



TOBACCO. 



The severe drought prevailing in sections specially devoted to tobacco- 

 culture, together with the destructiou of plants by insects, has reduced 

 the acreage in this crop to less than half of that of 1873. The only 

 tobacco State showing an increased acreage is Maryland, 109. The 

 heaviest reduction is found in Kentucky, which returns an acreage of 

 but 20 per cent, of the previous year. As Kentucky j) rod need two-fifths 

 of the last census crop, this reduction is significant of a thorough and 

 extensive demoralization of the tobacco interest. Tennessee makes 

 almost as gloomy a return, 31 per cent. ; Ohio, 33; Massachusetts, 50; 

 Indiana, 5S', Virginia, 61; West Virginia, 02; North Carolina, 65; 

 Pennsylvania, 79 ; Illinois, 87; Missouri, 88; New Hampshire, 89; Con- 

 necticut and New York, 90. The condition of the crop planted is above 

 average in only two States: Connecticut, 110, and Alabama, 103; it is full 

 average in Massachusetts, but in all the other States it is below, the 

 minimum, 42, being in Kentuckj-. West Virginia reports 62 ; Tennessee 

 and Ohio, 69 ; Virginia and North Carolina, 79 : Texas, 88 ; New York, 

 91. In some localities early-set plants look promising, but later ones look 

 poorly, on account of insect injuries and drought. In other places the 

 low prices of last year greatly discouraged planting. In portions of 

 North Carolina the tobacco-culture, once a flourishing industry, is re- 

 ported as dying out. In Greene, Tennessee, the crop has nearly ceased, 

 on account of the law forbidding sales to any but manufacturers and ship- 

 pers. Our Kentucky correspondence, especially, is full of gloomy ac- 

 counts and presages in regard to the crop. How far the present reports 

 are influenced by the panic prevailing in the tobacco regions it is now 

 impossible to say. It seems sufliciently clear that in the most hopeful 

 aspects of the case the aggregate yield will be much less than half of 



