ye eta? “a! eT Ls es Ces) SF cs ete CIR gt EO UNG aye tS CBA eae tay Nia ee eere 
ER ‘ eile ence ae Rp DON Stat 8 tS ‘A otis SIG Se Lays 
es ” \ : a itu 4 at Soe = 
a Py ee EN 
{ 5 $ . t Vo 
¥ "| ah | 
532 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
~ 2 oR ; z i = ; T t 
i, States and Territories. | Acres. Busbels. * Value. 
lingis. ees hee: i ta lt aR Wg a eed Sp Poms | 7,847,915 141,080,000 | $57,842, 800. 
Ny TCG TTF Ri ta BI og Ra Oe eel Ge alm ae cL ee Na ey Aa 1, 018, 778 25,775, OOO 10, 825, 500 
MVISITTIGS OUR <6 Gs ots fe caieVeisiive' di eheio ss a sicg ce mas eo elo ere, nie lage bo pete aint | 606, 756 15, 051, 000 6,689,970) 
Sho Oe EA Ons Slog RU ec in Gat IMMns Shab Liars testiscte ache o oe | 7,196, 148 183, 502, 000 64, 225,700." 
Missouri 2. it 5: Se LE A TAs USNR ee | 6,406, 785 140, 949, 000 52, 151, 130 
TEAST ay DES Um Pe ict hy. Saath koe cone Rar Petree r Sc Ee | 5, 242,979 7, 547, 000 28, 322, 390 
TST IETS SENS IAL SRO DD ONE Ro he ie aaa ber tm emai nae Gy 3, 565, 158 95, 150, 000 27,045,000 | 
(OPINY ore Re CS Me ee Oh nie cee nas Chee ce aig c 156, 752 4,703,000 | - 2, 868, 830. 
(CTR) QO) lee GE Oa Un Rt BUnce Seo oo Oo Oeanmonbs Ge cane cre 6, 673 | 182, 000 116, 450. 
PNCRVELGL OLE retin ste pa ie vaio fs lat at octchwte cnet alee elefers iets sieiteme | 863 24, 000 14, 880 © 
(Sra) Foe aNS Cay NAA SEO ON i Re el eS Aa ee INC ah 31, 267 938, 000 590, 940 
J ATEAS Ta C EO ee Al SS aay Eee cemeriae Maa ee ae ars 3,111 59, 000 38, 350, 
“Tyre ET oly Ge 9 ane g a Saae SERCr ee g ee tad EE 636, 120 20, 992, 000 7, B47, 200 
AT CLEEROR ere eo ete, Woke ne eos octet ore cacte rare pt ae oh ie ear ste emiorecetalf 1, 989 58, 000 33, 600 
MORGuiteeiee eee reo et se Motch, SOU ae SMI EN 908 25, 000 15, 000 
Narita conte to soce ce tae dese mater eeee be chee oe in ieee inee 51,056 | 970, 000 698, 400 
SEES SERN AAD Mit tt A ES RA ly 13, 197 285, 000 213, 750 
WIGS BONE oe Oe Sek Ono n gdage sod Tacs ase Soe 2a ace 5} 3,375 74, 000 49, 580 
MOT AUR tet heehee totes Re cepa fan | 72,392,720 | 1,456, 161,000 | 646,106,770 - = 
With a steady increase of area, amounting to about 21 per cent. 
since 1879, the product of this year is the smallest of the series, ex- 
cepting only that of 1881. It is less by 9.9 per cent. than the aver- 
age for the period. This average product of eight years is 36.5 per 
cent. larger than that of the ten rae preceding. 
The crop of 1887 was one of the lowest in yield ever made. Its 
large area made its product respectable in absolute quantity. The 
cause of decline was drought, which in portions of the western corn 
elt surpassed in intensity that of 1881 in the same districts. The 
damage did not extend to the Atlantic coast, as in that disastrous 
year, nor was it so great on the Gulf coast. 
On the first of March of each year an investigation is undertaken 
to show the proportion already consumed or distributed. It shows 
that small crops are husbanded and large ones more profusely used, 
as to aggregate bushels, though the proportion of crop disposed of 
is larger in the case of the small crop. While the remainder is 
smaller in percentage, and stillsmallerin comparative quantity, in the 
small crop year, it 1s shown that the consumption has been greatly 
economized in such years. The following table presents these com- 
parisons for a series of years: 
if 
- On hand Per |Consumed or 
March 1— | Product. March 1. base distributed. 
| | 
‘Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. 
HERA aR tin Sek. Comet noo 4 Poched) 2 ee | 1,617, 000,000 | 587,000,000 | 36.3 | 1,030, 000, 600 
TESS. RNS tay ka ae oa a at OR ES 1,551, 000,000 | 512,000,000 | 33.0 | 1,089, 000, 000 
LGC Cd Cae Ne ecraecniks sieges Seni mate Moose Se Rs ee 1,795, 000,000 | 675,000,000 | 37.6 | 1,120,000, 000 
PERG ett) eter aero Rh yey aN, a bed ea 1,936, 000,000 | 778,000,000 | 39.9 | 1, 163,000, 000 
HOR ade Meteo hune Osea ares Mk oe ee 1, 665, 000,000 | 603,000,000 | 36.2 | 1,062, 000, 000 
RBS ore een eee n Oe See OY oo lat ag te 1, 456, 000, 000 | 508, 000, 000 | 34.9 | 948, 000, 000 
The effect of the drought is seen in the amount already consumed 
or distributed, which falls under 1,600,000,000 bushels for the first . 
time in six years, and is less by a 114,000,000 bushels than in the pre- 
vious year, and less by 215,000,000 than in 1886, when the largest 
quantity ever reported was in course of distribution. 
The smallest rate of consumption at this date is in the South, 
which requires less winter feeding and more in spring and early 
summer to sustain the plow animals employed in the cultivation of 
corn and cotton. The West, the region of winter feeding, has con- 
