MONTHLY RE 



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Department of AGRicuEi^uc^j^vli-^^^ 



Statistical Division, Dcc'eiifber 10, 1870. 

 Sir: I bere^Yifcll report for iiiiblication statistics of comparative pro- 

 daction and condition of certain farm crops, from returns of November 

 and December, with extracts from letters of regular and special corre- 

 spondents, and articles upon the following topics: Southern Agriculture, 

 Experiments with Department Seeds, Premium Corn Crop in Pennsyl- 

 vania, American Dairyman's Association, Valley of the Rio Grande, 

 Rainy Season in California, Stock Sales, Immigration, Market Prices of 

 Farm Products, Sugar Beet in Europe, Wide Drilling and Tilling of 

 Wheat, Hop Growing in England, Meteorology, &c. 



J. R. DODGE, 



Statistician. 

 Hon. Horace C apron. 



Commissioner. 



CO:jfDITION OF THE CROPS. 



Corn. — The estimates of the corn product for the past years have 

 •rarely indicated a very near approach to a full crop. Tlie crop of 1859 

 (as reported by the census) was 838,000,000 of bushels. The increase 

 of population (about 25 per cent.) would require in 18G9 an increase of 

 more than 200,000,000 to keep up the same ratio of production. The 

 estimate of 1809 was only 884,000,000, showing an increase in ten years 

 of only 40,000,000, or 5 per ceut., to counterbalance an advance in i^op- 

 ulation of 25 per cent. That of 1808 was little larger, and less by a 

 hundi'ed millions than a full crop of maize. The present is undoubtedly, 

 in proportion to jjopulation, and probably in proportion to acreage, the 

 largest crop since that recorded by the census. From a preliminary 

 calculation, u^ion local returns from 749 counties, the total product of 

 this year is made to exceed 1,100,000,000. This would give about 28 

 bushels per acre this year, upon the assumed acreage, (39,000,000 acres) 

 against 23i bushels upon a little more than 37,000,000 acres last year. 

 The greatest relative increase appears in Illinois, where the crop of 

 1809 was very short, amounting to 05 jier cent, in aggregate bushels; 

 Indiana is placed next, at 55 per cent.; Michigan, 35; Wisconsin, 33; 

 •Ohio, 30; Minnesota, 23; Kentuckj^, 23; Iowa, 19; New York, 18. Some 

 of the southern States have made a large relative advance; Tennessee, 

 .32; South Carolina, 27 per cent.; Georgia, 22; Louisiana, 20; Alabama, 

 17; Mississippi, Texas, and other cotton States have made a small in- 

 crease. The States producing less than last year are, Connecticut, 15 

 per cent.; Rhode Island, 14; Massachusetts, 10; California, 10; New 

 Hampshire, 5 ; Kansas, 2. Of 749 counties reported, 535 report a total 

 product above an average; and 117 represent the local crop at less thaa 



