MONTHLY EEPOET 



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Department of AGnicuLTimE, STATiSTicAtL pivisioN, 



WasMngf on, h. 0.^ October 20, 1870. 



Sir: I lierewitli present for publicg,tloii a digest of tlie reports upon 

 the condition of the crops for the month of October, with brief notes 

 from reporters thereon, together with various extracts from th,e corre- 

 spondence of the Department, the address of the Commissioner at the 

 Illinois State fair, and articles upon variety in southern productions, 

 climate of Southwestern Arkansas, Osage orange as feed for silk- 

 worms, the Louisiana rice crop, market prices of farm stock, the 

 drought in England, agricultural statistics of Ireland, diseases of 

 cattle in Europe, wool-growing in Uruguay, the treatment of liquid sew- 

 age in Great Britain, scientific notes, meteorology for September, &c., &c. 



J, R. DODGE, 



Statistician. 

 Hon. Horace Capron, 



Commissioner. 



CONDITION OF THE CROPS. 



Wheat. — The wheat crop of 1870, in a majority of the States, and es- 

 pecially in those in which this cereal is prominent, is materially less in ' 

 quantity than the crop of 1869, which was a very large one, notwith- 

 standing the assertions of some croakers to the contrary. The reduc- 

 tion is due, first, to the loss of plants by an unpropitious season for ger- 

 mination and early growth of the winter variety, followed by an open 

 and somewhat variable winter, and, second, to the drought which pre- 

 vailed with great severity in the Northern and Eastern States. This re- 

 duction, as averaged from our local returns, appears to be about 14 i^er 

 cent. In the several States it is as follows : Maine, 5; New Hampshire, 

 10; Vermont, 10; New York, 30 ; New Jersey, 23; Pennsylvania, 13; 

 Delaware, 30 ; Maryland, 17 ; Virginia, 9 ; Mississippi, 17 ; Texas, 2 ; 

 Missouri, 10 ; Illinois, 10 ; Indiana, 18 ; Ohio, 14 ; Michigan, 9 ; Wis- 

 consin, 20 ; Minnesota, 15 ; Iowa, 13 ; Kansas, 2 ; Nebraska, 13 ; Cali- 

 fornia, 15 ; Oregon, 3. The States indicating an increase are : Massa- 

 chusetts, 2 ; Connecticut, 1 ; North Carolina, 9 ; South Carolina, 10 ; 

 Georgia, 10 ; Alabama, 12 ; Arkansas, 7 ; Tennessee, 9 ; West Virginia, 

 2; Kentucky, 2. In the early spring the "condition" of the wheat 

 fields pointed to a decrease of 20 per cent. As is usually the case, ad- 

 verse returns have had a more cheerful aspect as the season advanced, 

 and a result somewhat more favorable to production is now recorded ; 

 yet the monthly records have maintained a close correspondence through- 

 out the season, verifying the general correctness of the reports. 



