EI-MOXTHLY EEPOET. 



Department of Agriculture, 



JVashington, July, 1864. 



Tlie past winter, unprecedented in the Mississippi valley for its sudden and 

 severe changes, gave rise to apprehensions for the safety of the fall-sown crops. 

 The dryness and coolness of the spring induced the belief that the roots of the 

 grain crops were extensively killed, and at this time the last returns to this 

 Department were made. But looking to the character of the winter, rather than 

 to appearances at that time, the opinion was given that " there was an over-esti- 

 mate of the injury, for the cold, although severe, was steady, calculated to turn 

 the blades brown, but not to destroy the root." The favorable Aveather of 

 April and May confirmed the correctness of this conclusion, for although the 

 wheat crop will be less than an average, yet the growing season is now so 

 propitious that it promises well, and it is pleasing to see, in the letters of our 

 correspondents, so general buoyancy over the restored prospects of the crops. 

 Still the wheat crop will be considerably below an average, even if it escapes 

 rust, the fly, chinch-bug, and all the other casualties to which it is so incident. 

 Many acres of winter wheat have been ploughed up and put in corn, and the 

 lateness of the spring, in many localities, occasioned a smaller breadth of, spring 

 wheat to be sown. Its promise, however, is excellent, perhaps never better. 

 The decrease of winter wheat, from cold of last winter, will be about thirty per 

 cent. 



In portions of Iowa, Wiscousin, and Minnesota, complaints are made of 

 drought since the first week of May, but the crops were not suffering in those 

 localities. Their color was yet good, but not growing as rapidly as desirable. 

 " The weather," says our correspondent at Minnesota City, "in this section con- 

 tinues very dry, no soaking rain having fallen since last August. We have had 

 light showers, which have prevented everything from drying up entirely." A 

 few complaints are made of the chinch-bug. Corn, although later planted than 

 usual, was growing satisfectorily ; and in some northern localities it had to be 

 replanted, having rotted, in consequence of the cold weather in the beginning 

 of May. For the particulars of the present condition of the* crops, the reader 

 is referred to the tables and comments thereon in this report. It is only neces- 

 sary to say here, that whilst wheat is injured nearly 30 per cent., the breadth of 

 corn planted is nearly as great as last year; thecal* sown are more than an average, 

 and the meadoivs promise the largest hay crop ever mown. The increase and 

 condition of 5/iee/?, as heretofore reported, are sustained by the returns just 

 received. 



