8 



It will be seen that tlie export of provisions increased largely in 1862. This 

 was owing partly to the short crops in England, but chiefly to the fact that the 

 pork trade with the south being cut off, the price fell ruinously low upon the 

 western States. These prices induced foreign buyers, so that in 1862 we find 

 the exports as follows : 



Bacon, pounds 141, 212, 786 



Lard, pounds 118, 573, 307 



Pork, barrels 30, 594, 900 



Pork, tierces 705, 672 



291,086,665 

 In 1860 86, 909, 005 



Increase 204, 177, 660 



Such is the immense pork trade of the United States, so vital to the great 

 corn-growing States of the west. The Department has as yet no statistics by 

 which to estimate the value of it, or that of the slaughtered cattle. It is ex- 

 pected that statistics will be collected by it during the ensuhig winter, upon 

 which not only these, but all other farm stock, can be numbered and valued. 



Old corn. — The amount of old corn in the country is much less than usual. 

 This was to have been expected from the high prices during the summer, caused 

 by the consumption of the army. In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, 

 Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin, the tables return but seven-tenths of that of 

 1862. This is 30 per cent. less. In Iowa it is 20 per cent. less. It appears 

 to be fed out to stock in nearly one-half the counties of these States. But the 

 rapidly increasing value of corn will soon stop it. 



The value of the frosted corn. — It will be seen that our correspondents regard 

 the frosted corn as wanting the usual fattening properties belonging in so high 

 degree to this grain. Analysis shows that it has 3.88 grains of oil in the 100, 

 and 41.85 of starch. The oil does not seem to be formed only at the close of a 

 vigorous and perfect growth, with a moist ground and hot sun, and the starch 

 chiefly in the last month of its growth. The analyses of Dr. Salisbury show 

 that the sap continues in full flow until between the first and middle of October. 

 The following shows the amount of water in the grain at the times mentioned : 



August 30 90.80 



September 18 78.75 



October 1 85.50 



October 18 • • • • 8.45 



The killing frosts were on these first two dates, showing that the growth was 

 stopped nearly two months before the close of the matm-ing season. All our 

 accounts represent the grain as ceasing to receive any sap from the stalk after 

 the blades were all killed. Hence all the nutritious elements in it are those 

 only when the killing frost fell, which was too early for the grain to have any 

 more than a small portion of starch and no oil. 



The weather. — The returns of the condition of the weather, each, week, in the 

 month of October, show a favorable state, especially for the fall crops. There 

 is enough of wet weeks with the favorable and dry to have kept these crops 

 well growing, and the fall pastures up until the last of the grazing season. A 

 remarkable snow fell on Thursday, the 22d of October. It seems to have been 

 of a like character of the frosts of August 30 and September 18, and to have 

 covered much of the same portions of the country. These three great northern 

 ''waves of cold will constitute a meteorological phenomenon of great interest to 

 the farmers of the Mississippi valley, for they clearly show that this valley has 



