196 
and unless stock is driven in during the summer, much pasturage and hay will 
be lost. 
Stock of all kinds is rapidly increasing, but is still far below the capacity of 
the land to carry profitably. 
Up to this time Virginia, in her agriculture, may be considered as in a com- 
paratively prosperous condition. 
NORTH CAROLINA. 
This State may be considered as entirely within the cotton zone, though to- 
bacco and the cereals are both profitably cultivated, and to quite an extent. 
Cotton, tobacco, and rice are the commercial staples, though there is more or less 
surplus of the grains. 
The cow pea enters largely into her system of profitable cultivation, and is 
exported to other States in considerable quantities. The cow pea is to the 
lands of the south as a renovator what the clover plant is to the north, and 
when cultivation is based upon that in a routine of crops, some highly remu- 
nerative results have followed. In 1860 the cotton crop was 145,514 bales, and 
her tobacco crop 32,853,250 pounds, and 7,593,976 pounds of rice. As these 
represent her commercial crops, the others can be considered only accessory. 
Cotton —The breadth of land planted is much broader than last year, but 
does not yet make one-half of the quantity planted before the war. In many 
of the upper districts much that was planted and partially worked has been 
abandoned for want of food for the laborers and for the teams. The plant has 
a good stand, and, with the above exception, has been well worked and promises 
well. 
Wheat.—There is considerable good wheat land in this State, especially in 
the upper portions, as was shown by the last census, 4,743,706 bushels being 
reported. The crop this year will largely exceed that of last, but is fully three- 
fourths less than formerly. At this time it is looking well and promises a 
larger acreable yield than for many years past. 
Corn —This grain has not been planted to the extent that the exigencies of 
the country demand. It is a profitable crop to grow in this State, as there is a 
broad surface of good corn lands. The census reports 30,078,564 bushels, 
which makes it the seventh corn State in the Union. Its cultivation in the 
present state of labor will largely supersede cotton; it is looking well and has 
generally a fine stand. I saw a variety cf white flint peculiar to this State, 
which the department will do well to distribute to localities in a kindred climate ; 
it is a favorite further south, and outsells all other kinds put upon the market. 
Oats.—This crop is sown upon nearly every farm, the design being to make 
enough for the teams. It failed largely last year, but the plant looks well now, 
and a much larger breadth has been sown than last year, yet not one-half the 
amount before the war, when the last report made the crop 2,781,860 bushels. 
Rice.—Before the war the cultivation of this grain along the bays and rivers 
at tide-water was gradually increasing, and the quantity raised, as shown by 
previous figures, was quite an item in the commercial reports. The cultivation 
is now nearly abandoned. It requires capital and labor to carry on this the 
most profitable cultivation of any cereal in the whole list. But a small portion 
of the rice plantations are being worked at present, but upon those cultivated 
the plant has a fine stand and is looking well. 
Tobacco—As is shown by the figures, this is an important crop, and the 
largest made in any of the regular cotton States. The high price has stimu- 
lated its cultivation, and as labor could be secured more readily for its cultiva- 
tion than of cotton or rice, a much larger breadth is planted than last year, and 
perhaps in corn and tobacco there is a nearer approach to the breadth planted 
in former years than in any other crop. 
