MONTHLY REPORT. 
WASHINGTON, D. C., December 31, 1868. 
Sir: I herewith respectfully submit for publication a statement.of the con- 
dition of the crops for November, with data bearing upon agricultural production, 
received in December, including estimates in detail of the corn and cotton crops 
of the year. I also present the following additional matter: Report of Profes- 
sor John Gamgcee on pleuro-pneumonia; Cereals for analysis; Condition and 
prospects of southern agriculture ; Potatoes, yield of varieties; The Scuppernong 
grape; Is Texas a wine land? Insects injurious to the grape; Locusts or grass- 
hoppers in Kansas; Humboldt county, Nevada; Yuba county, California; The 
diffusion process in sugar-making; English cotton for 1868; Agricultural col- 
leges and model farms; Coal-ashes as a fertilizer; Agricultural statistics of 
Australia; American corn in Prussia. 
J.R. DODGE, Statistician. 
Hon. Horace Capron, Commissioner. 
CONDITION OF THE CROPS. 
Reports have been made upon the condition of farm creps from month to 
month, and estimates calculated upon some of the principal products. The year 
has been one of more than average prosperity, as has been shown by previous 
exhibits. The tables of the present month make a comparison with last year, 
as to corn, cotton, tobacco, potatoes, hay, buckwheat, flax, sorghum, sugar cane, 
grapes, apples, and pears. ‘These comparisons, giving due weight to all local or 
other circumstances affecting them, and making allowance for any errors or mis- 
conceptions, are calculated and set down in figures. The detailed statements 
of the estimated product of corn and cotton are given in the present number. 
Corn.—We are unable to figure out the thousand millions of bushels promised 
by sanguine calculators. A handsome increase upon last year of 137,000,000 
bushels, if not all that could be desired at the present time, affords an aggre- 
gate 67,000,000 bushels larger than in 1859, (without including the Pacific 
States, which are unsuited to corn production,) but a decrease in proportion 
to population. Illinois of course heads the list of States, with about one-seventh _ 
of the entire production, and an increase of about 16 per cent. in nine years—a 
good result, though barely abreast with the increase of population. The fol- 
lowing is the estimate : 
Bushels. 
DEST OY: Sete Sette), 1) a aa pot haa aL ec Cee eR ED 1,590,000 
Wow Elanipshine sae etie se.<. <3 =:c;ccpe sila eres aicioisi nis, ooo See ao 1,511,000 
NOTIN ONL «/2:a0e arc rale (er teens <tc simone RT es pra gor 1,672,000 
Massachusetts....- 0 3 ROO EEE esa 5 2,292,000 
Pode Aslan’. 2 aco cepeeele a a ENC 5 a 5 SUE ce cie es 346,000 
(CONTCR O EO BSA BON: hs ot eB eee ee |p) ae 2,152,000 
ERRRTIOTIC . |. 5 < ait cela a eR le aR eee Seats, REE Hes ow ote 20,910,000 
New dersey.... 22560605 Sele cee ee op Ae 10,216,000 
