378 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



it was not because the wheat crop had failed to any great extent, but because the drought 

 of 1854 had so cut short the supply of corn, potatoes, &c., as to compel a larger use of wheat 

 than would otherwise have taken place. >? 



Accepting the estimate of Mr. Cist as the correct one^we have as the value of the wheat 

 crop of 1855, at a dollar and a quarter per bushel, an aggregate of more than two hundred 

 and thirty-one millions of dollars. k . 



Statistics of the Crop of Indian Corn for 1855, Abundant as has been the crop of wheat in 

 the United States for 1855, it is but one iten* of our agricultural productions, and not the 

 largest. The great staple crop of the United States is Indian corn, which, during the past 

 season, has furnished the largest crop ever gathered. The amount, according to Mr. Cist, 

 cannot be less than 1,000,000,000 of bushels, and may exceed these figures by 20 per cent. 

 By the census returns, the corn crop of 1839 was 377,531,875 bushels; that of 1849, 

 592,071,104, showing an actual increase in ten years of 214,539,229 bushels, or 58 per cent. 



From returns made to the auditor's office of Ohio, we have the following statistics of the 

 corn crop in that State for 1851, '52, and '53: 



Years. Acres sown. Bushels gathered. No. hushels per acre. 



1851 1,664,427 61,171,282 . 36-7 



1852 1,730,188 58,165,517 33'6 



1853 1,836,493 73,436,090 40-0 



The exports of corn from this country, including corn meal, at different periods, have been as 

 follows : 



In 1837 951,276 bushels. 



" 1846...,. .... 3,326,068 " 



" 1849 15,283,154 " 



1850.... 7,892,302 " 



" 1851 4,444,921 " 



" 1854 20,000,000 " 



The value of the corn crop of 1855 may be safely estimated at $400,000,000. 



Oat Crop of 1855. The estimate of the oat crop of the United States for 1855 has been 

 given b^ Mr. Cist as at least 400,000,000 bushels. 



Rye Crop of 1855. According to the census returns of 1840, the product of the United 

 States was 18,645,567 bushels; of 1850, 14,188,813 bushels, showing a decrease of 

 4,456,744 bushels. During the year ending June 1, 1850, there were consumed of rye 

 about 2,144,000 bushels in the manufacture of malt and spirituous liquors. The amount of 

 rye cultivated in the United States in 1853 was about 14,000,000 bushels. The estimate 

 for 1855 may be safely fixed at from 16,000,000 to 18,000,000 bushels. Some authorities 

 estimate as high as 20,000,000. The diminution of this crop for the last twelve or fifteen 

 years may be attributed in the main to a corresponding decline in the demand for the pur- 

 poses of distillation, to which a large portion of this grain had annually been applied. 



Rice Crop of 1855. The rice crop of 1840 was returned by the census at 80,841,422 Ibs.; 

 of 1850, 215,313,497 Ibs. The crop of 1855 cannot be less than that of 1853, which was 

 estimated at 250,000,000, and in all probability exceeds it. 



Barley Crop of 1855. The annual production of this grain, according to the census of 

 1840, was 4,161,504 bushels; in 1850, 5,167,015 bushels; estimate for 1853, 6,590,000; for 

 1855, 7,500,000 bushels. 



Potato Crop for 1855. The potato crop of the United States, according to the census of 

 1840, was 108,298,060 bushels; of 1850, 104,056,044 bushels, of which 38,268,148 bushels 

 were sweet showing a decrease of 4,232,016 bushels. This deficiency in the crop of 1849, 

 as compared with that of 1889, is attributed to the discouragement caused by the disease. 

 The crop of 1853 has been estimated at 106,000,000 bushels. The season of 1855 has been 

 more favorable for the potato than that of any previous year for a considerable period, and 

 the quantity planted during the past year has also been unusually large. We estimate the 

 crop as at least 115,000,000 bushels. 



Peas and Beans for 1855. The amount of peas and beans produced in the United States, 

 according to the census of 1850, was 9,219,901 bushels. The amount raised in 1853, 

 exclusive of the production of market-gardeners, was estimated at 9,300,000 bushels. Our 

 estimate for 1855 is 9,400,000 bushels. 



