REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. • 127 



Finally, I desire to express my appreciation of the faithfulness and 

 efficiencywliicli have cliaracterized the assistance I have received in the 

 jjerformance of this work from those engaged with me in the labors of 

 this division. 

 Kespectfully submitted. 



PETER COLLIBK, 



Chemist. 

 Hon. Wm. G. Le Due, 



Commissioner. 



REPOET OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



. Sir : I have the honor to submit my report as Statistician of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture. 



The agricultural productions of the country, which in the year 1878 

 liad grown to such proportions as to attract the attention of the civilized 

 world, were exceeded by the production in 1879. The movement of pop- 

 ulation to the West and the activity of our i^eople have rendered it almost 

 impossible to keep fully abreast with the increase of our production, both 

 in the cereals and live stock. 



In the estimates submitted great care has been given to the compila- 

 tion from the returns made by some four thousand correspondents ; they 

 comprise representatives in t A'O-thirds the counties of the whole country, 

 and while it is not claimed that they are exact as to the whole, it is 

 claimed that they are for the proportion they represent, and experience 

 yearly shows that the portions not represented hold about the same con- 

 ditions of increase or decrease as those reported. 



The area sown or j)lanted in the different crops of this country has 

 never been taken by any previous census, but I am happy to state that 

 the omission of former investigations is to be remedied in the census to 

 be taken in 1880, and arrangements have been made for a fifll and com- 

 plete enumeration of the acres planted in each principal crop. With this 

 additional light on the subject there is assured in the future a more com- 

 plete and accurate estimate than was possible in the past. 



THE CROPS OF 1879. 



Corn. — The acreage planted in this crop was 3 per cent, more than in 

 1878. The spring was unfavorable in the New England States owing to 

 cold and rainy weather ; in the Southern and Western States the season 

 at planting was favorable, but in the large corn-producing section, north 

 of the Ohio River, the complaint of defective seed was almost universal, 

 thus causing a large area to be replanted which was consequently late 

 in maturing. During the summer drought prevailed to a disastrous 

 extent in the South Atlantic States and in Louisiana and Texas ; in fact 

 the crop in the latter State was only one-half of the previous year. In 

 all other parts of the country the summer was most propitious, particu- 

 larly so in those States bordering on the Ohio River and west of the 

 Mississippi. 



The weather in the months of September and October was rather un- 

 favorable inthelargest corn-producing States, causing an imperfect ripen- 

 ing of the crop and resulting in a softening of the grain, thereby ren- 

 dering it unmerchantable, and even in some places unfit for domestic 



