446 
and the printing-fund being already nearly exhausted, there is little 
inducement to attempt investigations which cannot be properly made, 
or published if made. 
POTATOES. 
As returns for condition, during the latter part of the season, have 
foreshadowed, the potato crop, in production, falls not only far below 
the extraordinary crop of 1875, but considerably below an average crop. 
Among the causes of diminished yield, drought was the most wide- 
spread and effective. During the season for the formation and growth 
of the tubers, excessively dry weather prevailed, with a few local excep- 
tions, throughout the entire section north of the thirty-sixth parallel 
and.east of the Rocky Mountains, the section in which the potato crop 
is mainly grown, The drought was the most severe and protracted in 
the Middle and. Eastern States, except a northern beit including the 
greater part of Maine. Within this designated area also the beetles 
east of the Mississippi and the grasshoppers west effected some reduc- 
tion in localities, though not to a serious extent. Reduction by pre- 
mature decaying of the vines, from blight or rust, is noted in New York, 
(Wyoming and Chautauqua,) Pennsylvania, (Sullivan,) Virginia, (Pu- 
laski,) Ohio, (Franklin,) Michigan, (losco, Montcalm, and Fond du Lace,) 
Wisconsin, (Outagamie,) and California, (Humboldt and Sonoma;) by 
rotting, in Virginia, (Highland,) North Carolina, (Beaufort and Hay- 
wood,) West Virginia, (Pocahontas, Upshur, and Braxton,) Ohio, 
(Lorain and Preble,) Michigan, (Chippewa and Kent,) Illinois, (Saline 
and De Kalb,) Wisconsin, (Grant, Brown, Clark, and Jackson,) Lowa, 
(Jones and Howard.) Another cause of diminished production is an 
unusual decrease in acreage, especially in States which grow this crop 
extensively, amounting to 15 per cent. in New York, 31 in New Jersey, 
7 in Pennsylvania, 11 in Ohio, and 8 in the entire country. This was 
occasioned, in part, by the very low prices realized for last year’s crop. 
Among the Northern States east of the Mississippi, Maine alone wisely 
planted an undiminished acreage; and her farmers are now being well 
rewarded by very remunerative prices for a crop which averages only 
3 per cent. below that of last year in production, while it is 6 per cent. 
above in quality. Vermont has the next best crop in the eastern sec- 
tion, falling 13 per cent. below that of 1875; while Connecticut falls 50 
and Rhode Island 85. The great failure in the latter State was owing 
to a drought protracted beyond precedent, helped efficiently in its work 
of reduction by the beetle. New York, growing one-fifth of the entire 
crop, and more than twice the quantity of any other State, falls off from 
last year 49 per cent.; other States, (in the order of importance,) fall off, 
Pennsylvania, 44 per cent.; Ohio, 32; Hlinois, 36; Michigan, 58; Wis- 
consin, 10; Iowa, 34; Indiana, 20; New Jersey, 68. 
The small crop grown in the southern section approached nearer to 
last year’s production; equaling it in Alabama, and rising 1 per cent. 
above it in South Uarolina. These States and Oregon, 114, are the only 
ones in which the production is not below that of Jast year. The 
entire crop is about 34 per cent. less than the previous one. There is 
also a very general decline in quality. Maine, 106; Delaware and South 
Carolina, 100; Kentucky and Oregon, 101, are the only States not indi- 
cating a decline. The lowest figures are in Rhode Island, 44; followed 
by Connecticut, 64; New Jersey, 68; New York, 81; Pennsylvania, 
Michigan, and Kansas, 84. Other States range from 88 to 99. 
A few items among the local details are worthy of mention. In Kent, 
Rhode Island, owing to ravages of the beetle, none except the very 
