to continue these statistical inquiries througli the winter, covering various agri- 

 cultural subjects, as cattle, horses, sheep, manures, fruit, agricultural machines, 

 &c. 



It was an object of the last monthly report to show the American farmers 

 the foreign markets which purchase so largely of their breadstuffs, and in the 

 present one they will see the extent of their purchases of the animal productions. 

 It is due to them that they should have a clear idea of the relation of American 

 agriculture with the commerce of the world. But they have been shut out here- 

 tofore from this knowledge, not only from want of proper statistical information 

 of that commerce, but by the very terms daily used to point out the operations 

 of this foreign commerce. The quant'itics sold, and \\\<i 2')rices given for American 

 agricultural products are habitually stated in foreign measures, as " quarters," 

 which are unknown to the fanning community, and in a currency, as "shillings,' 

 so unlike our own, that the farmers cannot determine their meaning. Hence 

 they cannot follow the operations of commerce, but lose sight of their wheat and 

 flour, pork and beef, almost as soon as they are carried from the farms. 



To remove obstructions of this kind, now standing in the way of a complete 

 knowledge of foreign commerce, I shall shortly present in my monthly reports 

 all foreign measures and values in common use among us, reduced to the weights 

 and measures, and the currency of our own country, in connexion with the 

 amounts of our monthly exports of breadstuffs and provisions. 



The importance of agriculture and the necessity for its management are 

 obvious to all as a means of national prosperity. 



The aim of this Department has been and will be to aid the farmers of the 

 country in the advancement of their business, and to give them greater informa- 

 tion of the productions and resources of this great country. 



The successful close of the agricultural year furnishes us with renewed occa- 

 sion for thanksgiving, and will be especially remembered on the approaching 

 day set apart for that purpose by the President and the governors of the several 



States. 



ISAAC NEWTON, 



Commissioner. 



THE TABLES OF THE CONDITION OF THE CROPS FOR OCTOBER. 



In our last monthly report the returns of the leading summer and fall crops 

 were given in bushels. The latter were formed not on answers to questions, 

 asking the amoiatt of the crops of 1863 compared with 1862, but on their gen- 

 eral appearance only. In the circular for October inquiries were made of the 

 amount of these fall crops, and from the answers the following table showing 

 the corn, tobacco, buckAvheat and potato crops for 1863 has been formed. 



If there is anything that is gratifying to the Department, it is the remarkable 

 confirmation which this table for October has to the correctness of that for Sep- 

 tember. By the latter the corn crop for 1863 was estimated at 449,163,894 

 bushels, and by that for October it is placed at 452,446,128 bushels — a difference 

 of only 3,282,234 bushels. This is extraordinary, and gives the Department the 



