470 



been personally over the different sections of southern Kansas, and has 

 not seen a poor field of wheat. 



Nemaha County^ Kansas. — Largely increased area sown to wheat. 



iStanislaus County, CaJ. — A much larger breadth of land will be sown 

 to wheat and barley in this county this year than in any former season, 

 not less than 300,000 acres. Five years ago the county did not i)roduce 

 40,000 bushels of wheat. 



EXTRACTS FEOM CORllESPONDENCE. 



RICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 



Georgetown County, 8. C. — Rice is the specialty of this county. In 

 1869, the acreage of the county was 16,000. In 1870, 15,123, being 877 

 acres less. The product for market in 1809 was less than 600 pounds per 

 acre. For 1870, it is estimated that the crop is shorter than last year. 

 The early harvest was iavorable. The latter part was very wet, with 

 high tides, and a great deal of the crop was damaged upon the stubble by 

 rains and the overflowing of the embankments. The ante bellum crops 

 of this county averaged 40 bushels of 45 jwunds per acre. Since 1865, 

 the crop has never reached an average of 25 bushels. The acreage of tide 

 lands formerly cultivated was about 40,000. Eight of every ten planters- 

 have either lost money or made no surplus from rice culture, since 1860. 

 Labor is scarce, and decreased acreage is a consequence. In 1868, about 

 12,000 acres were planted. It now requires three bushels of seed per 

 acre for planting ; tormerly two and a half was the average. 



RICE AND GRAPES IN UTAH. 



St. George, Utah. — The two samples of rice sent me from the Depart- 

 ment last spring, w^ere planted in drills early in May, on about a rod of 

 ground, from which I gathered a peck of nice, plump grain the last of 

 September. The tallest variety yields the best. Rice is a success here, 

 and will yield equal to Avheat. The bene plant has also done splendidly, 

 and yields about as much as wheat, producing of nice sweet oil, two 

 gallons from the bushel. 



The Verdel grape is now in its prime. The new seedling grape, Rio 

 Virgin, is as plump, fresh, and fine on the vine as at any time in the 

 year, and will hang till Christmas. The White Nice and the Gros Calmun, 

 are also plump and fair. Our grape crop is well ripened, and wine- 

 making is completed. In this (Washington) County, not less than 

 20,000 gallons of a wine, superior to former crops has been the result. 

 Some of the juice has measured 17 Avith the saccharometer. The Muscat- 

 Hamburg has proven the richest, then the Old Mission, Black Mus- 

 catel, &c. 



PREMIUM WHEAT. 



Marshall County, Ind.—Ai our county fair there was a premium 

 offer(Hl on four acres of the best corn, and four entries were made. The 

 first four acres averaged 88 bushels and 62 pounds per acre, 70 pounds 

 per bushel; the second averaged 83 bushels per acre; the third, 78 

 bushels ; and the fourth, 73 bushels. The crops were raised on land 

 without manure — heavy timbered land, sandy soil. Corn all ripe and 

 dry before frost. 



