REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



407 



ities of the season's temperature and rainfall in tlie several districts is 

 made easily apparent : 



Months. 



Sonth Atlantic, i Western Gulf. Ohio Valley. | 



Missouri Val- ' Extreme Xoil/h- 



S3 



H 



April 



'Jtlaj 



Jniie 



July 



August 



September. . 



0.0 

 -0.9 

 -0.4 

 -0.2 

 +0.6 

 —1.0 



ley. 



west. 



as 



« 



as 



SB 



EH* 



Inches. 

 —2.48 

 +2.82 

 +0.79 

 -1.09 

 +1.37 

 +1.30 



+L4 

 —2.1 

 -t-0.4 

 -0.4 

 -0.1 

 -0.3 



Inehet. 

 +1.28 

 -0.32 

 -0.56 

 +0.05 

 -2.10 

 +3.78 



0.0 

 -2.4 

 -2.5 

 +0.6 

 -2.2 

 -1.4 



Inches. 

 +1.11 

 +0.11 

 -0.53 

 -0.07 

 +3.02 

 + 1.20 



+1.7 

 —0.7 

 -2.2 

 +0.3 

 -5.3 

 +0.4 



Inches. 

 +0.56 

 -1.59 

 +1. 20 

 -0.01 

 -1.52 

 -1.16 



COEN. 



In consequence of the injuiy to wlieat, the maize acreage was in- 

 creased more than usual. 



The area of last year, as estimated, was 69,083,780 acres; this year 

 73,130,150 acres, an increase of 5 per cent. The crop had a favorable 

 start. July condition averaged 94 per cent, against 96 in 1884 and 100 

 in 1880. High condition in Jidy is not absolutely essential to the pro- 

 duction of a large crop, yet it is a favorable indication. During the 

 six consecutive years of large production, condition in July readied 100 

 twice, but only in one instance, in 1877, was lower than in July of the 

 present year. 



It was shown that there had been a large amount of replanting 

 throughout the West, partly because of defective seed used and partly 

 on account of excessive moisture in the seed bed, and a prevalence of 

 cut-worms that seems to have been somewhat unusual. The lessons of 

 the past few years have been expensive, but they have not taught all 

 farmers the economy of a careful and timely selection of seed, though 

 much has been done in that direction by thoughtful farmers. An im- 

 mense amount of labor has been lost this season in replanting because 

 of \)00T seed. 



There was an excess of moisture in low-lying lands at the planting and 

 germinating ]>eriod, as well as that of early growth, in a large portion 

 of the breadth, yet the ardent suns of the last week in June evaporated 

 rapidly the excess of moisture and greatly improved the appearance of 

 the crop, so that growth was generally luxuriant and the color a healthy 

 green at the time of observation for the July report. 



The August report showed an improvement in condition which carried 

 the average to 90. In some sections temperature was very high and 

 moisture deficient a part of the month ; yet improvement continued, 

 showing that high heat, without deficient moisture often benefits corn 

 rather than injures it. 



In the latter part of July rains were general, insuring against very 

 serious drought for the remainder of the season, and guaranteeing, in the 

 ab.sence of frost, at least a medium rate of yield. 



The returns of the 1st of September showed that drought in the South- 

 eastern States had wrought some injury in the light soils ; on the north- 

 ern border maturity had been delayed by heavy rains and cool nights, 

 with slight frosts in high latitudes ; yet average condition had been re- 

 duced only by a single point, and the crop in the absence of killing 

 frosts was assured. The growing season, from germination to harden- 



