22 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



tlie United States aggregates in round numbers tliirty-iive million acres 

 An increase of one busliel per acre would give an addition of tliirty-five 

 million bushels of wheat to the crop. This is equivalent to $35,000,000. 

 Taking the past six years as a basis of calculations, the increased pro- 

 duction per acre averages 1.2 bushels per acre for the last two years, 

 being equivalent to a gain of $54,220,929 per annum in that time. The 

 number of acres annually in oats in the United States during the past six 

 years averages 11,987,626 acres. The increased production per acre by 

 the introduction of the " Excelsior White Schoenen" oats some years 

 since was some 2.5 bushels per acre, and a Uke increase is reported 

 from the distribution of the " Board of Trade" oats in the northern 

 and the " Bust Proof" in the southern part of the country during the 

 last two years. At the same time the acreage was augmented one 

 and a half million acres. But the average increased yield fairly at- 

 tributable in like period to improved varities of seed would amount to 

 forty million bushels, worth $15,000,000. Such substantial advantages 

 speak so eloquently in behalf of proper seed distribution that further 

 remarks would seem superfluous. 



The following tabular statement exhibits the quantity of seeds put up 

 and distributed to each State during the past year, except the miscel- 

 laneous column, in which it was found impracticable to designate the 

 State. It is proper to say, however, that the system of keeping the 

 seed accounts has been so changed as to show hereafter the destination 

 of aU the seeds distributed. It will be seen that a marked improve- 

 ment has been made over former years, the number of packages having 

 been increased by nearly half a million over that of the preceding year. 



Tabular statement showing the quantity and Und of seeds issued from the Seed Division, 

 Department of Agriculture, under the general appro^iriation act, from July 1, 1878, to 

 June 30, 1879, inclusive. 



Kinds of seeds sent. 



«1 



Packages. 



Itemi. I 



Vegetable-seed ' 18o' Packages 



3?lower-seed I 33 



Tobacco-seed 5 



Opium poppy 1 



Treeseed ! 31 



Herbs 19 



Borae;e 1 



Field seeds. 



Wheat n Quarts... 



Oats 1 r> --.do 



Barley 2, .do 



Kye li...rto 



do 

 do 

 ..do 

 . do 

 ..do 

 -do 



Buckwheat. 

 Field com.. 

 Potatoes ... 

 Artichoke . . 

 Sus:ar-l>eet . 

 Sorjihum . . . 

 Gra.ss-.seed . 

 Clover-seed. 



l,...do , 

 ]!...do . 

 3 ...do . 

 2. ..do, 

 21. ..do , 

 1 ...do 

 .3!... do 

 1 ..-do 



P9 





Pavers. Papers. 



836,240 27,260 



30, 774 



19, 358 



31 



460 



C78 



26 



,8.53 

 ,085 

 ,475 



258 

 47 



G60 

 ,437 

 ,197 

 76 

 ,124 



729 



105 



5,792 



96 



720 

 1,022 



.2 n 



Total 

 amounts. 



Papers. Pavers. Papers.' Papers. 

 115,265 404,000; 241,300; 146,247 



40:, 



11, 918: 



13,324' 25,246| 



5, 872| 60 14, 120' 

 4281 1,424' i 



3, 416 

 1,623 



488| 

 3, 259 



4,244 



3,821 



314 



31, 466 



5,397 



136 



13, 450 



3.11 



y 



10,258 



8,494 



1, 276 



403 



505 



1, 401 



2,693 



704 



427 



8, 656 



1,293 



1,016 



1, 270, 372 



71. 280 



36,673 



167 



13, 960 



1,029 



35 



CO, 473 



31, 631 



4,690 



661 



553 



2,061 



12, 998 



11, 628 



817 



10, 810 



2,041 



1,121 



