12 



excess of ;iny year during the past twenty years, and was iu good condition when th» 

 snow fell, which now covers it to tlie depth of 12 inches. Outagamie : Looks bad ; very 

 late in being sown. 



Minnesota. — Sherlnrne: Long-continued drought nearly ruined the cro]). Win(yna: 

 Dry weather was hard on wheat and it looks thin. 



Iowa. — Henry : Not looking well, owing to the dry weather. Jefferson : An increased 

 acreage to meet the anticipated loss from the chinch-hug. Lee : Has suffered consider- 

 ably, there being no snow to protect it fioin the cold. Marion : Made but small 

 growth on account of the extremely dry weather. Folk: Has so far wintered well. 



Kansas. — Atchison: Continued drouth prevented as much being sown as usual. 

 Bourhon : Put in late on account of drought, and the weather is still unfavorable. 

 Clay : Partially winter-killed, caused by severe weather and late sowing. Coffey : Very 

 uuproniising; late sowing and hard weather. Cowley: Looking badly, owing to the 

 winter setting iu early. Franklin : Less put in than usual, owing to dry weather, low 

 price of grain, and a desire on the part of some farmers to increase the acreage of blue 

 grass and timothy. Johnson: Not much sown on account of drought. Labette: Sown 

 late on account of drought, then hurriedly put iu, and since then, (November 18,) the 

 Aveather has been severe, and the prospects are gloomy. Lyon : The drought lessened the 

 acreage, and its continuance, with the intensely cold weather, prevented the crop from 

 making nmch of a growth. Marion : The bad weather makes the crop look worse than 

 usual. Marshall : Fears are entertained that the cold has killed the crop. Miami : Was 

 late in being sown, and the prospects are bad. Morris : btit little sown on account of 

 drought. Nemaha : The autumn being dry, more than usual was sown, and though the 

 growth is not large, it looks well. Neosho : Does not look very encouraging for a good 

 crop. Osage: Is in bad condition, liepuhlic : A large increase of acreage sown. Riley: 

 Sown late and suffered from the freezing weather. Shawnee : Dry weather made it 

 late before sowing. 



Nebraska. — Cass : Looking well. Saunders : Looked well at the beginning of winter 

 since then it has been covered with snow. 



California. — Alameda : There is an increase of acreage. 



Dakota TFAmiTOiiY.—Bonhomme : Looked well, December 1, since then it has been 

 covered with snow. Lincoln : Wheat sent by the Department of Agriculture had 

 made its appearance, looking well when a heavy fall of snow set in. The ground is 

 still covered. 



Utah Territory. — San Fete : Never looked better than at this time ; weather very 

 favorable. 



Nicw Mexico. — Dona Ana: Is sown, but only in small quantities. 



RICE PllODUCTlON. 



rvfatei'ial misapprehension of the facts of rice production exi.'its in tho 

 public luind. It is stated that rice culture is not extending ; that it felt 

 the effects of war's devastation less than cotton, and should therefore re- 

 cuperate more rapidly; neither of which propositions is true. The 

 rice-planters were driven from the Carolina and Georgia shores during 

 the war, labor was in a disorganized and chaotic st-ate, production 

 had almost ceased ; and at its close, dams and flood-gates, quarter- 

 drains and canals, mills, barns antl houses, were either dilapidated 

 or destroyed, and the power to compel the laborers to go into the rice 

 swamps was utterly broken. The laborers had scattered, gone into 

 other business, and those obtainable would only work for themselves 

 upon a share contract. Mauy of the proprietors were dead, and more 

 were ab.sentees ; and inexperienced men, from the North or elsewhere, 

 assumed their places. The rice-fields had grown up in weeds and tan- 

 gled shrubbery, the labor of reparation was discouraging, and the work 

 of cultivation was greatly increased, giving unexpected gravity to the 

 contingencies and accidents of the season. 



These difficulties have been gradually disappearing on the Atlantic 

 coast, yet the labor question is still one of great importance. Produc- 

 tion is increasing, legularly but slowly. The negroes are bacoming 

 accustomed to their quasi proprietorship, and with the aid of capital in 



