Preliminary returns indicate an increase of seven-tenths of 

 one per cent in the acreage in buckwheat, as compared with 

 last year. There is an apparent increase of 5 per cent in New 

 York and of 2 per cent in Pennsylvania ; but in almost 

 every other State in which any buckwheat, whatever, is 

 grown, the tendency to a reduced acreage noted in past 

 years continues. The average condition of buckwheat on 

 August 1 was 93.2, being 6 points higher than at the cor- 

 responding date last year, and 2.2 points above the mean of 

 the August averages for the last ten years. 



The average condition of cotton on August 1 w T as 84, 

 being 7.2 points lower than on August 1 last year, and 

 1.8 points below the mean of the August averages for the 

 last ten years. 



The average condition of potatoes on August 1 was 93, 

 being 9.1 points higher than on August 1 last year, and 6.9 

 points above the mean of the August averages for the last 

 ten years. 



Preliminary returns indicate a reduction of 3.4 per cent in 

 the hay acreage. Of the fourteen States mowing 1,000,000 

 acres, or upward, last year, only Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, 

 South Dakota and California show an increased acreage. 

 The condition of timothy on August 1 was 86.7, or 12.6 

 points below that of the corresponding date last year. 



There are few States in which the production of clover 

 does not present a more or less marked contrast to the 

 almost uniformly large production of last year. In the New 

 England States there is a falling off of one-third to one-half ; 

 New York reports 71 per cent of a full crop, as compared 

 with 109 per cent last year, etc. The quality of clover falls 

 decidedly below last year's standard, taking the country in 

 general. 



During July the average condition of tobacco declined 

 11 points in Kentuck}'-, 6 in Tennessee, 3 in Missouri, 

 Pennsylvania and Virginia, 2 in Massachusetts, 1 in Ohio 

 and Wisconsin, and 8 in Indiana. On the other hand, there 

 was an improvement in New York, while in Connecticut 

 the crop about held its own. 



The condition of sugar-cane in Louisiana, 75, compares 



