449 
above a fair crop in 1875; but, in all the other Gulf States, the product 
was largely reduced by drought. In Clarendon, South Carolina, and 
Wilkes, Georgia, the crop was also damaged by early frost. In the 
northern tier of Southern States the product fully equals that of last 
year. Among the Northern States, Minnesota returns a product 38 per 
cent. above last year’s short crop; Vermont and Delaware return 100. 
In the remaining States east of the Missouri, the product falls somewhat 
below that of 1875. Kansas reported last year 33 per cent. above the 
previous crop; this year 21 below, reduced by grasshoppers. Nebraska, 
last year, 122; this year, 100. California produced 5 per cent. above a 
short crop last year. The entire product is about 5 per cent. short of 
that of 1875. 
BUCKWHEAT. 
Last year the product exceeded that of the previous crop; this year 
it falls about 8 per cent. short. Drought at the time of filling was the 
principal cause of reduction ; but in parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, 
and ‘Virginia, storms of rain and wind in harvest, or after the crop was 
matured, did much injury. In parts of the Ohio Valley, the crop did 
not fill well, owing to excessive wet weather. It was damaged by frost 
in Saginaw and Oakland, Michigan; Stark, Indiana; and Jefferson, 
Missouri; and much reduced by grasshoppers in Iowa, Kansas, 
Nebraska, and Colorado. Massachusetts and Connecticut report a prod- 
uct equal to last year’s; but in New York it was 34 per cent. less; New 
Jersey, 23; Pennsylvania, 26. North of the Ohio, the comparative fig- 
ures for 1875 and 1876 are, respectively, in Ohio, 105 and 90; Michigan, 
132 and 88; Indiana, 112 and 92; Illinois, 83 and 96; Wisconsin, 45 and 
155. In illustration of the relation of these figures to each other, it may 
be observed that if the crop in Wisconsin last year had been equal to 
the previous one—that is, 100—this year’s product being what it is, 
and now represented by 155, would have been a fraction short of 70. 
High figures mean a large increase over the previous crop; but if, for 
instance, the product for 1875 was but a fourth of an average crop, 
200 for 1876 would only indicate half acrop. West of the Mississippi, 
the crop, except in Minnesota, 109, was much less than in 1875, the fig- 
ures being, in Missouri, 237 and 93; Kansas, 206 and 72; Nebraska, 
544 and 78. The product in Kentucky was 2 per cent. greater than last 
year, and in Oregon 5 per cent. In all the remaining States it fell 
below. 
SORGHUM. 
Returns show an increase of about 14 per cent. over last year’s com- 
paratively large crop. The States indicating the highest relative in- 
crease are, Georgia, 38 per cent.; Virginia, 37; Kentucky, 32; Texas, 
27; Alabama, 19; Tennessee, 14. The only States reporting a product 
less than last year are, Iowa, 11 per cent.; Maryland and Nebraska, 7; 
Kansas, 5. Certain counties report a remarkable percentage of increase: 
in Virginia, Page, 300 per cent.; Madison, 100: Georgia, Shelby, 300; 
Meriwether, 200: Alabama, Clarke, and Crensha, 100: Mississippi, 
Lincoln, 100: Texas, Rusk, 400; Titus, 200: Arkansas, Ashley, 100; 
Sharp, 80; Williamson in Tennessee, Taylor in Kentucky, Henry in 
Ohio, and White in Lllinois, 100 each; Clay in Missouri, 200. Good 
quality is generally reported. Great improvement in the quality of the 
sirup, resulting from the introduction of improved machinery and meth- 
ods of evaporating, is specified in different localities. The return from 
Gwinnett, Georgia, states that the sirup of a large and valuable crop 
