10 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



dimiuislied its total area, though the estimates show an increase in 

 breadth of three per cent., or more than a million of acres. The early 

 growth of corn in the Ohio Valley Avas quite uneven, from the variable- 

 ness in meteorological conditions as referred tx) in the June report : 



In tlie Ohio Valley, as iu Ohio and Indiana, complaints of long and almost unbroken 

 droHglits are received from many counties in different parts of those States, affecting 

 wells' and streams, and greatly retarding vegetable growth ; while in many other 

 counties seasonable and frequent rains are reported, and iu some cases abundant suj)- 

 plies of moisture. In other cases wet districts are in close jiroximity to dry areas : and 

 both wet and dry localities tire sometimes found in the same comity. In different sec- 

 tions of the couuiry, in which seasons of drought have occurred, sudden and violent 

 .storms have deluged low-lying lauds, carried away bridges, and damaged crops. These 

 jjeculiarities are noticeable during each recurring summer, biit the variations in 

 amount of raiu-fall, and in the frequency and force of storms, seem greater than usual 

 the present summer. 



Aside from these inequalities the season was quite favorable in this 

 section, having an unu.sual measure of sunshine and a degree of heat 

 well suited to the grov,th of corn. Altogether the season was not very 

 propitious during ^Rlay and June, and the returns of the 1st of July, 

 showing the condition of corn, placed 413 counties below average, 2G3 

 above, and 313 at 100 or average. In Iowa, where cool, cloudy weather 

 generally i)revailed in spring, followed by changeable weather, only two 

 reports of superior condition were received ; and iu Ohio oidy three 

 were above 100. In the Gulf States, from Alabama to Texas, the rapid 

 growth made in June had placed the crop in average condition. In the 

 West, while amelioration had been marked, the crop had scarcely at- 

 tained an average of vigor and forwardness. July's showers and sun- 

 shine greatly advanced the crop prospect, pushing averages of condition 

 above 100 in nearly all the States, the only exceptions being some of 

 the Atlantic States south of the Potomac, and, in the higher latitudes, 

 Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Oreg'on. Growth in August was 

 continued at an accelerated pace, and it became evident that one of the 

 largest crops ever grown would be harvested. The September report 

 included returns of corn in 917 counties, 530 representing the prospects 

 of the crop above average, 224 average, and only 163 below, or less than 

 one-iifth of the number reported. The estimate of the total product, at 

 the time of gathering, came within a small fraction of 1,100,000,000 

 bushels, or about equal to the great crop of 1870, and about 25 per cent, 

 more than our original estimate of the crop of 18G9, (the one reported by 

 the census of 1870,) which some astute local statisticians confounded 

 with the crop of 1870, thereby assuming a great discrepancy between our 

 estimate and the returns of the census. 



Wheat. — Winter-wheat had a slow and halting start. The low tem- 

 perature of jMarch left forbidding accumulations of snow and ice to chill 

 the views of our April reporters. Over a considerable area snow still 

 covered deeply the grain-lields; iu the more southern belt from which 

 snow had disappeared, gloomy forebodings of failure were entertained, 

 and accounts of " freezing out "' in spots and imtches, the thinning of 

 plants iu many fields, and a general lack of vitality, were as frequent 

 as despondent. There were fertile and well-drained, and thoroughly 

 comminuted soils on which a line growth had commenced upon the 

 departure of winter, of which it was said, "Where the lields were 

 drained, the soil deep and mellow, the casualties of winter have been 

 unknown; where the seeding was done with the drill, on land hav- 

 ing any fair degree of suitable i>reparation, almost absolute immunity 

 from freezing has been secured." There were those, intent upon declar- 

 ing the crop a failure, who denied the accuracy of this statement and 

 decried the i)ractice of seeding with the drill j but the later history of 



