428 



the Dutcbmau'S 1 per cent.; so if the area is not "thrice" the former 

 figure, it certainly must be " double." 



If the present condition of a crop is sought, the information conveyed 

 by these random reports is equally indefinite. I qnote from models : 

 " Farmers think they will have a good crop ;" " splendid prospects for 

 corn;" "wheat on dry land will exceed the average, on clays will be 

 short;" "rains are bringing corn along very fast." The reporter fails 

 to indicate the amazing rate of speed at which the rains are leading the 

 maize; and when he tells us that "the corn-crop will be heavy," we 

 fail to see whether he expects it to weigh 70 pounds to the bushel, or 

 yield 100 bushels to the acre. And if a full average is not expected, of 

 course it is " half a crop," or if unwonted nicety of comparison is at- 

 tempted, three fourths of a crop. The exaggerated and slipshod ex- 

 pressions of conversation are carelessly penciled, and the precious in- 

 formation probably sent by telegraph. And this is enterprise and a 

 model crop-report. 



This use of language, which has no common measure of value, and may 

 mean one thing to the writer and another to the reader, is not the only 

 difficulty with these unsystematic reports. The ground covered by the 

 report is equally indefinite; usually a township, often a county, sometimes 

 a wide district is ambitiously included when any territory whatever is in- 

 dicated. If a township, the increase stated at 50 per cent, may be correct, 

 and yet the whole county have actually no increase, as has been tested in 

 our recent experience. Then a third difficulty occurs in the ditierent pro- 

 duction of different counties, some of which produce a crop by millions of 

 bushels, while others in the same State fail to yield as many hundreds 

 of thousands. Thus, with no definite expression of acreage in the sep- 

 arate reports, and these reports covering unknown areas of territory, or 

 widely different in size, and differing quite as widely in amount of pro- 

 duction, it is simply impossible to calculate or formulate an expression 

 of the average meaning of the sum of such reports. It is the sheerest 

 guess-work to indicate from such data whether there is more or less than 

 usual of a crop, unless the unanimity in one direction is almost absolute. 

 The only thing to be done — the only thing that is done — is to read the 

 whole jumble of conflicting matter, and leap rashly to a conclusion 

 which shall embody the general expression made upon the mind. It is 

 a blind trust in intuition — often so blind as to overbear the result of 

 mathematical demonstration, which fails to establish its conclusions. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL RECORD. 



By Tcvnend Glover, Entomologist. 



Experiments with Phylloxera. — During the past season an ex- 

 periment has been instituted in order to prove the identity of the 

 Femphygus vUifolm or leaf-gall-louse, of Fitch, with the Phylloxera vas- 

 tatrix, or root-gall-louse, so injurious at present to the vineyards in 

 France, and in parts of this country also. In March, the Department 

 wrote to Mr. George W. Campbell, of Delaware, Ohio, for specimens of 

 vines infested with the root-gall-louse, Fhylloxera vastratrix, which he 

 kindly forwarded to the Department in most excellent condition for the 

 experiment — the roots being literally a series of galls or knobs caused 

 by the root-lice themselves living on the roots. These were carefully put 



