416 



of 12 per cent, over tbe crop of last year. Clayton, yielding in tbe cen- 

 sus-year a niillioii bushels, returns 150, and Black Ilawlc, a still larger 

 I)roducer, reports 90. Only eight counties report decreased production. 



The crop in Missouri is very short, promising oidy GO per cent, of the 

 last year's product. Nearly every wheat growing county returns a 

 decreased yield — Franklin, 95; Saint Louis, 70; Howard, GO; Johnson, 50; 

 Lincoln, 40 ; and some as low as 20 and even 10. This comparative fail- 

 ure was caused by winter-killing, aided by the fly and chinch-bug. 



Tbe returns from Kansas are less favorable than for several years. 

 The spring-reports of condition were very low, and the chinch-bug has 

 been unusually destructive. After taking into account the increased 

 breadth from extension of settlement, the crop appears to be one-fifth 

 less than that of last year. Bourbon reports nearly a failure ; Osage, 

 one-tenth of a crop ; Franklin, one-fifth. Marshall reportsl5 per cent, 

 more than last year ; Butler 25 per cent, increase; and Shawnee, 50. The 

 variation in other counties is almost equally maflced. Wheat is scarce, 

 and prices are higli. 



Tlie enlargement of area in Nebraska will give an increase, as indi- 

 cated by the counties reported, of 40 per cent. 



The crop of California is unprecedented. The increase ui^on last 

 year's in'oduct is estimated at 75 per cent., which will bring the aggre- 

 gate number of bushels almost up to thirty millions. The yield is large, 

 the area much increased, jrnd the quality of the grain is generally excel- 

 lent. Monster farms are found in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and 

 other valleys, one being reported in the San Joaquin of 30,000 acres, 

 another of 23,000, and a third of 17,000. Individual operators are 

 numerous who have from 50,000 up to 1,000,000 bushels of wheat to sell. 

 A great difiiculty is experienced in freighting, storing, and shipping the 

 surplus, which undoubtedly exceeds 20,000,000 bushels. Unless owners 

 combine to provide warehousing facilities in the interior, great loss 

 must ensue in the coming rainy season, as it can neither be transported 

 to nor stored in San Francisco before the rains come. In July, August, 

 and September seventy-eight cargoes were shipped to Great Britain, 

 and the shipments of the coming mouths will only be limited by the 

 number of vessels to be loaded. 



The crop of Oregon is an average one, and the quality good. 



These figures indicate an increase of about 5 per CQut. upon the crop 

 of last year, and promise an estimate, when returns are more fully ana- 

 lyzed, of at least 240,000,000 bushels, against 230,000,000 bushels last 

 year. This result is assured even after a reduction of 35 per cent, is 

 admitted u})on the crop of the Middle States and Maryland, which ap- 

 pears to have fallen from 37,000,000 busllels to 24,000,000. An inter- 

 esting aspect of this season's cropping is the apparent enlargement of 

 the aggregate of the Southern States from 18,000,000 to 27,000,000 of 

 bushels, mainly in Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina. West of the 

 Mississippi, according to present information, there has been an increase 

 of 15,000,000— say from 70,000,000 to 85,000,000. The central line of 

 wheat production, running north and south, is this year farther west 

 than ever before, and is nearly identical with the ninetieth meridian, 

 which divides centrally the States of Wisconsin and Illinois. Nearly 

 all the wheat produced between this line and the Mississippi Eiver is 

 grown in the western half of Wisconsin and of Illinois. Ere long the 

 quantity grown west of the Mississippi must equal that produced east 

 of it. 



Maink.— Oxford: Gootl ; liurvustcd .lud secured iu good "couditiou. Piscataquis: 

 Better quality than last year. Androscoggin: Very good. Sagadahoc: Remarkably 

 good. 



