68 



THE LANCASTER FARMER 



AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 

 Summary of Winter-Wheat Prospects. 

 From the inontlilv report, of the I>epartment 

 of Agriculture for April, l-'^V-i, tlieareaiii win- 

 ter wheat, we learn, appears to have lieen in- 

 creased last fall bv 7 per cent. A small por- 

 tion of this area, partially or wholly destroyed 

 hy the severity of the winter, will lie replaced 

 by other crops : how much, will dejiend upon 

 the vicissitudes of April weather and the pres- 

 sure of sprins work. The Middle States made 

 a very small increase— only 2 per cent, in 

 Pennsylvania and 1 in New York, with a de- 

 crease of 4 per cent, in Delaware— an aggre- 

 gate increase of about i:i."),000 acres. The 

 Southern States, from Maryland to Tennessee, 

 inclusive, have made a large increase, adding 

 half a million acres to an area of three and a 

 half millions. It is largest in Mississippi— 70 

 per cent, in the counties reported, 42 per cent, 

 in those of Texas, 30 in Arkansas and Ten- 

 nessee, and 2(i in Georgia. Ohio counties re- 

 turn no increase in acreage, Michigan but 1 

 percent., Indiana a decrease of 2 per cent., 

 and Illinois an advance of 10 per cent. Mis- 

 souri has enlarged her area in nearly thesame 

 jtroportion, and Kansas 30 per cent., in coun- 

 ties reporting. The aggregate increase in 

 acreage planted considerably exceeds a million 

 acres^and witli that of California will equal 

 one and a half millions. 



The condition of the crop, as far as it could 

 be judged by its appearance in April, in the 

 more northern latitudes, before the ground 

 was bare and free from frost, was below an 

 average, and far below the status of last 

 spring. In the South generally the prospects 

 are quite flattering, and the crop is secure 

 against all probable contingencies excepting 

 rust. In California a large breadth has been 

 seeded. Prompt germination and vigorous 

 growth have followed the winter rains. The 

 early-sown area is probably secure, but drying 

 winds and the absence of the later rains excite 

 apprehensions of failure of late plantings. The 

 States in the valleys of the Ohio and Missouri 

 report inferior conditions of wheat, as a re- 

 sult of winter kilhng. Those sections in 

 which drought prevented early seeding and 

 sufficient re-development before winter set in 

 have suffered most. The protection afforded 

 by snow has been exceedingly valuable in all 

 the area north of the thirty-ninth parallel of 

 latitude, the injuries sustained resulting main- 

 ly from thawing and subsequent freezing in 

 March. In the Middle States this jnotection 

 has been more uniform than in the West. The 

 more exposed fields presented a brown and 

 lifeless appearance, but the roots were found 

 to be sound, except in patches long covered 

 with ice. Everywhere the superiority of 

 •wheat seeded with the drill, and the great ad- 

 vantage of this mode over that of broadcasting, 

 are conspicuously apparent. 



The report then goes on to give a synopsis 

 of the returns from the dilferent wheat-grow- 

 ing States, specifically, and although there 

 are from twenty to fifty county-returns, from 

 many of them there is nothing specific in re- 

 gard to the winter-wheat crop of Pennsylva- 

 nia, and therefore its status must be looked 

 for, so far as it can be identified, in the gen- 

 eral remarks. 



Condition of Cattle and Sheep. 



The status of farm animals for the whole 

 country is fully up to tlie average of spring 

 condition in a series of years, notwithstanding 

 the remarkable severity of the winter, and far 

 above the average, taking into consideration 

 comparative numbers of animals represented 

 by the counties making reports. There has 

 been no prevailing disease during the winter 

 in any .section. Scarcity of feed, that could 

 not be met by better housing and care, or pur- 

 chased supplies, has been confined within very 

 narrow limits, and though, in the section 

 north of the thirty -sixth degree of latitude, 

 and east of the Pacific slope, the cold weather 

 ■was of extraordinary intensity and duration, 

 the atmosphere was 'dry, and the temperature 

 comparatively uniform. While this induced 



more careful shelter and feeding, it stimulated 

 in the animals vigor of appetite and muscle. 



Almost the only drawliacks to the health 

 and thrift of cattle and sheep, in any part of 

 the country, have been the want of proper 

 shelter, care and feed. Even in sections 

 where, from the combined ravages of droughts, 

 ehinch-bugs and grasshoppers, scarcity of feed 

 has been greatest, and this aggravated by cold 

 of extraordinary intensity and duration, jn-e- 

 caution in liuslmnding resources in hand, and 

 in seasonably providing such others as could 

 be made available, either for increasing or 

 saving feed, has resulted in bringing stock 

 through in better condition than in pn vious 

 milder winters with abundant food, imder dif- 

 ferent treatment. 



The cuttk returns, for condition, in all the 

 States, foot up as follows: Total number of 

 counties reported, 1,1S1; above average, 313; 

 average, 524; below, 314; not specified. 30. 

 Froin Pennsylvania the number of counties re- 

 ported is 43; above average, 10; average, 24; 

 lielow average, 0. Whether Lancaster county 

 has made a report or not, on any of these sub- 

 jects, cannot be ascertained from the source 

 before us. 



The condition of sheep is still better than 

 that of cattle. For all the States, out of 1,039 

 definite returns, all except 1(32 are average 

 or above. Returns from Pennsylvania indi- 

 cate average condition, with few extremes. 

 The return from the Sacramento Valley states, 

 that "the increase of the flocks throughout 

 California will be greater this year than ever 

 known before," and that " the lambing sea- 

 son is well past, and good luck is reported 

 everywhere." 



As there has been a remarkable exemption 

 from diseases among both cattle and sheep the 

 past winter, the losses, except incidental, have 

 resulted, almost exclusively from want of due 

 shelter, feed and care, and although 43 coun- 

 ties in Pennsylvania report 2S counties less 

 than the general average of losses, 9 of 

 equal average, and 3 above the average, there 

 is nothing to show that Lancaster county has 

 been delinquent in " shelter, feed and care." 

 The tabulated returns for all the States show 

 that in 1,111 specific returns for cattle, only 

 198 report losses exceeding those of 1874; and 

 in 1,050 speciflt; returns of sheep, but 150 are 

 greater- indeed, in some parts of Pennsylva- 

 nia, the losses were less than ever known be- 

 fore. 



Except in a class of cases loosely termed 

 "Hog Cholera," less formidable, however, 

 than'Tast vear, all kinds of farm animals, dur- 

 ing the past year, have enjoyed a marked ex- 

 emption from prevalent diseases; and it is 

 found that even in those places where animals 

 have suffered from the increased severity of 

 the winter, and the failure of food crops, such 

 suffering was greater in those counties where 

 the policy of the merciful treatment of ani- 

 mals has never been understood or iiracticed, 

 and that the external causes of disease, were 

 much less active than in former years. 



The Miscellaneous Statistical Circulars. 

 The ^larch circulars sent to our statistical 

 corps, which now represents l,(il2 counties, 

 including nearly all of the producing area of 

 the country, are of a miscellaneous character, 

 and not repeated annually. It was deemed 

 desirable to olitain a statement of local prefer- 

 ences for fertilizers and modes of soil-fertili- 

 zation, and also of the kinds and proportion 

 of products for feeding and fattening animals, 

 the length of time and cost of feeding in win- 

 ter, and some facts indicative of the local 

 surplus anil local deficiencies of the different 

 crops. The following list of (piestions was 

 very generally answered in the returns which 

 were received from 1,090 different counties: 

 1. What fertilizers are u.sedin your county? What 

 proportions of such fertilizers are farm-yard manures? 

 home-made composts? commercial fertilizers? Are 

 the latter deemed profitable? 



3. What iiroportion of hay-flelds are usually in 

 clover? what in cultivated arasscs, and priniiipally 

 of what kinds? what is native or wild g-rasses? Is 

 green manuring with clover practiced ? If so, is the 

 full crop, the second growth, or only the stubble 

 turned under? Please "state the practice and Its re- 



sults in soil-improvement; specific and significant 

 facts desired, rather than general views. 



S. Number of months in a year in which domestic 

 animals are fed exclusively? Number of months in 

 which jiartial feeding supplements pasturage? and 

 what are the prim-ip.al kinds of forage used, and pro- 

 portions of each? Is grain fed to animals? If so, 

 when, how liberally, and to what kinds of stock? 

 What proportion of your corn crop is consumed in the 



countv ? 



4. What is the cost per head, in cash-value, of 

 forage, for v\-intering horses? milch cows? sheep? 

 What is your estimate of the average value of each 

 of these classes of stock in autumn? in the spring? 

 Is tliere an average increase of weight during the 

 winter, or decrease? and how much of either? 



.5. What percentage, if any, of the value of your 

 crops is sold to go out of the county ? What is the 

 leading crop thus sohi ? What projiortion, if any, of 

 your farm animals is sold to go beyond the county? 

 fi. What products of agriculture are brought into 

 the county for consumption, and what percentage of 

 the home consumption? What farm animals, if any, 

 are brought from abroad, and to what extent? 



7. Has your county derived any advantage the past 

 year from" association and eo-operatiou, in marketing 

 crops, or in procuring supplies? If so, can you give 

 an approximate estimate of the aggregate sum thus 

 saved? Individual facts in this connection will be 

 acceptable. 



A Part of the Miscellaneous Returns. 

 The investigation demonstrates the fact 

 that farmers are learning the necessity of in- 

 creasing the store of plant-food in the soil, of 

 having it in an immediately available form, 

 and of supplementing notable deficiencies with 

 specific fertilizers. They are becoming better 

 versed in the philosoijhy of fertilization, and 

 better able to adapt their practice to the pecu- 

 liarities of their soils, and to their local 

 resources in material for fertilization, both by 

 increase in theoretical or scientific knowledge 

 and in experience gained in successful appli- 

 cation of such acquirement. Not all are thus 

 intelligent ; a large proportion yet see by the 

 dim light of tradition, and follow only methods 

 found "successful in their personal observation, 

 often with little regard to differing circum- 

 stances of soil and situation. It is true, 

 nevertheless, that the average practice of 

 these practical men is essentially soimd, and 

 really based on reason and science. 



Though half of the counties in the United 

 States are cultivated almost literally without 

 fertilizers of any sort, and another fourth with 

 the casual aid of green manuring, or a little 

 lime or plaster, or cottonseed, or a "cow- 

 penned" lot, or some trifling .saving of farm- 

 yard manure, it is still true the practice of 

 systematic fertilization is increasing. It is 

 not only increasing, but is followed with a 

 better adaptation of means to ends, and with 

 a sujierior economy in the choice of material. 

 " AVhat fertilizers are used in your county V" 

 The following tal)le, which gives the propor- 

 tions of farm-vard manures and other fertiliz- 

 ers, presents the average of the returns of each 

 State, and doubtless with sufticient accuracy 

 frir the purposes of the investigation, of the 

 true averages of all the counties of the several 

 States. In examining the figures it must be 

 remembered that tliej^ indicate percentages of 

 whatever fertilizers may be actually employed, 

 however small in quantity or unimportant in 

 value, which are almost too insignificant for 

 estimate in the States west of the Alleghanies: 

 [Sec tabuhited results jnMished in the Ajinl 

 number (if Ihe Farmer, peige 5(1. Col. 3.] 



The liianure of farm animals is seen to be 

 the main reliance for sustaining fertility. Com- 

 mercial fertilizers— organic and mineral — are 

 somewhat in use in New England, especially 

 in Maine and Massachusetts, including quan- 

 tities of fish-refuse and sea-weed. They are 

 also used sparingly in the Middle States; but 

 the cheaper minerals, lime and plaster, and 

 still cheaper green-manuring, monopolize a 

 large proportion of the percentages credited to 

 " other fertilizers. " The South Atlantic States 

 from Maryland to Georgia, inclusive, use not 

 only the largest proportion of manipulated fer- 

 tilizers, Vmt the largest quantities in compar- 

 ison with other sections. The cost of such ma- 

 terial amounts to millions in each of these 

 States. Little fertilizing matter is applied to 

 the soil from Alaliama westward, with the sin- 

 gle exception of such quantities of cotton seed 



