118 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE.. 



witblield, aud will be received by a fair-minded public as the best known data for an 

 approximate estimate of the real area in cotton. 



In the following statement the number of coanties arc given in wLich snch enumer- 

 ations wero made, either for their total or partial area, respectively, with the number 

 of bales produced on th« acreage given in 1874 : 



This makes the average in over 40 per cent, of the cotton-breadth of Georgia 3.54 

 acres per bale, while the official report of the State of Georgia ir.akes the number 3^ 

 acres ; results almo.st exactly alike, as in the reports of the area of tlie present crop. 



Without perfecting these estimates, it is evident that the true acreage of 1874 can- 

 not fall very much short of three times as many acres as were produced of bales in 

 1874, or at least 11,000,000 acres, possibly a figure a little larger. This corresponds 

 with the mass of facts brought to oar observation annually for two years past. 



The results of recent iiivestigations render it certain that 3.15 acres to 

 the bale may be considered a liberal estimate even for so poor a season as 

 1874. The areas reported in the above table are evidently rather better 

 than the average of each State, but still very near the rate of yield for 

 that year. The yield of 1875 was the largest per acre, as well as the 

 largest in aggregate quantity, since the war. It was but 2 per cent, 

 less than the largest crop ever produced, that of 1859. Its marked 

 superiority was due to the length of the season, killing frosts having 

 been delayed, in more southern districts, to the first week in December; 

 an almost unprecedented date. The past season was also very favorable, 

 but shorter, with some decrease in the yield per acre. 



The following table of estimates of the acreage and rate of yield of the 

 crop of 1876 is presented as a result of our recent investigation in har- 

 mony with those of the past three seasons : 



States. 



North Carolina. 

 South Carolina . 



Georgia 



Florida 



Alabama 



Mississippi 



Louisiana 



Texas 



Arkansas 



Ten nesseo 



Indian Territory and other districts. 



Total 4,43ti,000 2.63 



Bales. 



Acres 

 per 

 bale. 



210, 000 

 310, 000 

 505, noo 



50, 000 

 .I.*).!, 000 

 700, 000 

 560. 000 

 030, 000 

 515, 000 

 2C0. 000 



4.5, 000 



2.9 



3.05 



3 



3.3 



3. 25 



2.6 



2.25 



2.15 



2.2 



2.85 



2.6 



Acres. 



fi09, ooe 



945, 500 

 1, Sl.S.OOO 



165. 000 

 1.732.250 

 1,976,000 

 1, 2(i0, 000 

 1,483,500 

 1, 133, 000 



741, 000 



117, 000 



11, 677, 250 



The figures representing rate of yield approximate a fair representa- 

 tion of the differences of the fertility of the present cotton-lauds of the 

 several States, except that Alabama has an exceptionally low rate, 09 

 represen'iug condition of her crop in October, the general average being 



