year. Prospects are poorest in Louisiana, the leading rice 

 State, being 25 per cent below the standard. 



According to preliminary returns, a less area has been 

 planted to tobacco this year than last in Kentucky, Ohio, 

 Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York, the decrease 

 running from 11 to 15 per cent. Little change in area has 

 taken place elsewhere. The average percentage makes the 

 total breadth 6.2 per cent short of 1895. The average con- 

 dition of tJie crop is 91.5, against 85.9 last year. By States 

 the percentages range from 82 in Tennessee to 104 in Massa* 

 chusetts. 



The July returns for cotton make the average eonditjon 

 92.5, against 97.2 in June and against 82.3 last year. Lice 

 and drought are the principal causes of injury. 



In Massachusetts the acreage of corn compared with last 

 year is 102 and the average condition July 1 is ^i ; the aver- 

 age condition of spring rye 99 ; the average condition of oats 

 100; the average condition of barley 100; the acreage of 

 potatoes 83 and the average condition 101 ; the average 

 condition of beans 99 ; the acreage of tobacco 100 and the 

 average condition 104 ; the average weight of wool per 

 fleece 5.1 pounds; the average condition of clover 89; the 

 average condition of timothy 88 ; the average condition of 

 pasturage 95 ; the average condition of apples 93 ; the aver- 

 age condition of peaches 34 ; and the average condition of 

 grapes 85. 



Tempekatuee and Rainfall for the "Whole Country. 



[Fbom United States Weather-Crop Bulletins.] 



Week eliding July 6. — Week cooler than usual along the 

 immediate California coast, over extreme western Texas and 

 southern New Mexico, and on the south Atlantic and New 

 England coasts. Week warmer than usual over the northern 

 portion of the Lake region, on the north Pacific coast and 

 throughout the central and northern Rocky Mountain regions. 

 Elsewhere the temperature did not vary much from the nor- 

 mal. The rainfall was generally ample east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, except over the western portion of the Gulf 

 States. More than the usual amount fell over portions of the 

 central valleys and east Gulf States. The week was, upon 

 the whole, exceptionally favorable and crops generally made 



