MONTHLY EEPORT 



OF THE 



CONDITION OP THE CROPS. 



FOR AUGUST, 1863. 



Department of Agriculture, 



Washington, Septemher 10, 1863. 



The Commissioner of Agricultiire again tenders to his regular correspondents 

 his grateful acknowledgments for their promptness in replying to his circular 

 for August, Their increased numbers and carefully prepared returns give the 

 best assurance of the ultimate complete success of the plan adopted to coUeet 

 reliable monthly accounts of th€ condition of the crops. 



Despite the local injuries to the fall crops from drought, corn, tobacco, sos- 

 ghum, and buckwheat would have been excellent had not the frost of August 

 30th occurred. As nearly all the returns of correspondents were made from 

 the 28th of August to the 1st of September,^ the injury by frost was not given 

 by them, as will be seen in the tables, but many held back their returns for a 

 few days to report it. These last accounts present a general average injury of 

 about one-third or 33 per cent; but, for reasons given at some length in the 

 body of this report, it is believed that this is a great overestimate. Although 

 so general a frost is ordinarily very destructive, yet there is a great diflPerence 

 between frosts occasioned by the fall of cold rains when the ground has been. 

 cooled, and those produced by a storm bringing the cold of the arctic regions 

 over heated soil, and into a warm atmosphere. But to better ascertain the ex- 

 tent of the injury, inquiries have been made in the September circular relative 

 to the condition of all the fall crops. 



The state of the crops in Europe, especially in England, continues favorable, 

 and indicates a lessened exportation of breadstuffs from this country. But a 

 particular account of it will be given in the next Monthly Report, when more 

 full information will have been received. 



Since the last report many agricultural societies have forwarded- to the De- 

 partment the list of their officers, &c., but there are still many of them which 

 have officers, and are unreported. It is very important, for the interests of the 

 societies and for the Department, that the list be immediately sent. In answer 

 to numerous interrogatories, there will be found in this report short articles on 

 the manufacture of sorghum sugar and molasses, and on mildew and some o^ 

 the injurious insects. 



ISAAC NEWTON, Qommu&imer. 



