352 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



In this crop the price is controlled entirely by the home supply. The 

 lowest price was in the year of largest yield per acre, in 1875. 



The average value per bushel is 51.9 cents against 56.2 for tbe pre- 

 ceding ten years. The yield per acre has averaged 80.1 bushels, against 

 87.7 for the former period. The value per acre is $11.55 against $19.31. 

 The large element of labor in this crop makes the cost of production 

 high, the profit coming with a heavy rate of yield. The statement is 

 as follows : 



Calendar years. 



18S0 



1881 



lfi»2 



1883 



1884 ^ 



TotaJ 



Annual average 



Annual average for preced 

 ing ten years 



Total pro- 

 duction. 



Bushels. 

 167, 659, 570 

 109,145,494 

 170, 972, 508 

 208, 164, 425 

 190, 642, 000 



846, 583, 997 



169,316,799 



132, 837, 175 



Total aroa 

 of crop. 



Acres. 

 1,842,510 

 2, 041, 670 

 2,171,036 

 2, 289, 275 

 2, 220, 980 



Total valHo 

 of crop. 



$81, 0C2, 214 

 99, 291, 341 

 95, 304, 844 

 87, 849, 991 

 75, 524, 290 



Average 



value poi 



bushel. 



10, 5C6, 071 439, 032, 080 



2, 113, 214 I 87, 806, 536 



1, 514, 045 74, 653, 771 



Cents. 

 48.3 

 90.9 

 5.5.7 

 42. 2 



39! 



Avers 56 



yield 

 per acre. 



Average 



value of 



yield per 



aero. 



Bxisheli. 

 91.0 

 53. 5 

 78.7 

 91.0 

 85.8 



56.2 



87.7 



$44 00 

 48 03 

 43 89 

 38 37 

 34 00 



41 55 



49 31 



HAY. 



The increase in hay production has been 40 per cent, over the average 

 of tbe preceding ten years; the enlargement of production has been in 

 the same ratio, as the average yield is 1.23 tons in each period. The 

 price is lower than in the early years of the preceding decade, and the 

 jiroportion of wild or prairie hay cut in the distant West is larger, re- 

 ducing the average price per ton from $11.36 to $9.66. The statement 

 is as follows : 



TOBACCO. 



This is the'^ouly product of agriculture, cotton excepted, that is grown 

 for exportation nijore than consumption. Like cotton, it is limited in 

 geographical distribution, confined not merely to a group of States, but 

 to certain districts within those States. The entire area cultivated 



