170 



THE LANCASTER FARMER- 



[November, 



BAKLEY. 



Thu indicated average yield of barley is 23.5 

 I)Us1ip1s per acre, aggregating 45,0(10,000 

 bushels. California, New York and Wiscon- 

 sin, together iiroduce more than one-half, or 

 27,000,0(10 bushels. The product in 1879 was 

 44,000,000. 



BUCKW1IJ;.\T. 



The prospect for buckwheat is good for 

 a nearly average product, eleven to twelve 

 million bushels. I'ennsylvaiiia jiroduces nearly 

 half of the crop, and reports 0."> as the average 

 of condition, 100 representing a full normal 

 yield, and not an average of good and bad 

 seasons. Xew York makes an average of 0.5. 

 No other States produce half a million bush- 

 els. 



COHN. 



The yield per acre of corn will be reported 

 iu November. Condition averages 81, being 

 very high in the South, and comparatively 

 low in .states of largest production. In Illi- 

 nois, witli 8 per cent, decrease of area, condi- 

 tion is only 72 ; it is 70 iu Iowa, and 87 in 

 Ohio ; these States produced 40 per cent, of 

 the crop of 1879. A careful comparison of 

 changes in area and condition indicates an 

 average yield of 2.5 bushels per acre, against 

 28 in 1879, and 18 in 1881. The average of a 

 series of years is between 26 and 27 bushels. 

 New England will produce, according to these 

 returns, seven to eight millions ; the Middle 

 States, 82,000,000 ; the Southern States, 340,- 

 000,000 ; those north of Tennessee and west 

 of Virginia and Pennsylvania, 1, 2.50, 0(j0, 000 ; 

 an aggregate of 1,080,000,000. Later returns 

 of product may slightly reduce, but cannot 

 materially increase this result. The 1,800,- 

 0(JO,000 product predicted by the corn buyers 

 is a myth, which has been so persistently a.s- 

 sunied that tlie public may be misled. Tiie 

 increase in the South, where ten to fifteen 

 bushels may be considered a large yield, can- 

 not make good the reduction in Illinois alone. 

 It is gratifying to know that the product is 

 more than four hundred millions greater than 

 last year, and ample for a liberal supply for 

 domestic wants and exportation ; a supply 

 never exceeded, with two exceptions, 1879 

 and 1880, notwithstanding a later and more 

 unpropitious planting season than has oc- 

 curred in many years. 



The injury to corn in New England, by 

 drought, was somewhat .serious. The desired 

 rains did not fall anywhere out of Vermont, 

 excei)t locally. Oxford county, Maine, "has 

 the largest and best crop for ten years." 



Bin-lington and Gloucester counties, New 

 .Jersey, repoi t falling off in condition during 

 .September, but the reverse is true of the 

 State. 



Much "soft" corn is mentioned in Penn- 

 sylvania, but no fears of injury by frost had 

 yet been realized, and the fair weather has 

 taken much of the crop out of danger. 



While corn in Hiclnnond county, Virginia, 

 was "seriously inlured by drought," and in 

 Botetourt "sulTered materially from too much 

 rain," in Oraig "some fields will yield 70 

 bushels per acre," and Fau(piier reports "25 

 per cent, above an average." The general 

 report from the ^tate is not unsatisfactory. 



In the South the large promise of the season 

 fails but slightly by reason of severe storms of 

 wind and rain in September. Damage from 



these causes are mentioned in Tran.slyvania, 

 Stanley, Davie, Cabarrus, Davidson, Hender- 

 son, Beaufort, Camden, Gaston, Iredell, Mc- 

 Dowell, Bowan counties, North Carolina ; 

 Union, Chester, Edgefield, South Carolina ; 

 Decatur, Harris, Banks, Gordon, Talbot, 

 Carroll, Floyd. Wilkes, Baldwin, Putnam, 

 Early, Dawson, Wilcox, and Habersham, in 

 Georgia. 



In Alabama and Mississippi rain and Hoods 

 are mentioned in some localities, but an 

 abundant crop is harve.sted in both States. 



But little discontent with the harvest is 

 evinced in Texas. Hardeman county men- 

 tions chinch buizs, and more rains would 

 have been acceptable in limited portions of 

 the State. 



West Virginia made no improveuK-nt dur- 

 ing the last thiity days. Several counties 

 suffered too much rain. 



No complaint comes from any section of 

 Kentucky. Returns indicate an abundant 

 crop in Hickman. Best yield in twenty years 

 in Kenton. 



September's considerate weather did all 

 that could be done for corn in Ohio, and "out 

 of danger " is the report from all parts of the 

 State. Cutting is in progress, and frost did 

 not injure even the latest fields. 



The danger from frost has passed in In- 

 diana ; there is but slight local variation in 

 coudition, and the improvement by reason of 

 fair weather in September is general. ' 



Frost caught some fields iu Illinois, and its 

 damage is mentioned in Kankakee, Edgar, 

 Kendall, Henry, Fulton, Winnebago, Boone, 

 De Kalb, Grundy, and Livingston counties, 

 yet the late grain received most of the in- 

 jury, and the condition improved wonder- 

 fully during September. 



Wisconsin corn suffered from frost in a few 

 counties. In Dodge it was cut prematurely 

 for its protection, and the quality was lowered. 

 Many couivtiea report an average crop of good 

 quality— among them, Waushara, Milwaukee, 

 \Vau|iaca, and .Juneau. 



In Watonwan county, Minnesota, corn was 

 "badly injured" by frost. Other counties 

 mention it, while many escape wholly. 



POTATOES. 



The average condition of the potato crop is 

 81, indicating a yield of about 80 bushels per 

 sere on an area approaching 2,000,000 acres. 

 In New York the average is 70, forshadowing 

 a short crop iu a .State of large production. In 

 Maine, 85 ; Vermont, 84 ; and less in other 

 parts of New England. In Michigan the 

 prospect is very flattering, and throughout 

 the Ohio Valley, Missouri, and Kansas, and 

 in the Southern States condition is unusually 

 high. Iu the northwest it is somewhat re- 

 duced. 



Potatoes in New England shared in the 

 disastrous influences of the drought. In New 

 York and New Jersey a poor condition 

 exists. Penn.sylvania reports large crops in 

 many counties, and rot in others. August 

 rains did good in Delaware. 



Large croiis are mentioned in Williams, 

 Allen, Franklin, Knox, and Geauga coun- 

 ties, Ohio, and little complaint comes from 

 any part of the State. Hot is mentioned 

 ill Monroe, Delta, and Houghton counties, 

 Michigan. A fine croi) is reported in Indi- 



ana. In Illinois, rot is mentioned in Du 

 Page, Kendall, Jo Daviess, Carroll, and 

 Boone. Shelby has an immense crop. The 

 Wisconsin product is large, but rotting in 

 Kewance, Washington, Pierce, Fond Du 

 Lac, Racine, and Dodge. Local variations 

 occur in Iowa. A fair yield is reported in 

 Missouri and Kansas, esi)ecially of the early 

 planted. 



COTrON. 



The cotton returns of the Department of 

 Agriculture for October indicate unusual 

 size and vigor of plant, and a capacity for a 

 large production. The late development of 

 fruitago, and the reported indications of a 

 small top crop, limit the otherwise extraor- 

 dinary prospect. The coincidence appears of 

 the same general average of condition in 1881 

 and 1882 for June, July and August, 89, 92, 

 and 94, respectively. During August and 

 September, iu 1881, condition fell from 94 to 

 66, but in the same period of this season to 

 88 only. This is higher than in any October 

 for ten years with two exceptions, 1875 and 

 1878. 



Compared with the August returns, there 

 is a loss of one point in Florida and Texas ; 

 two in Alabama ; three in North Carolina 

 and Georgia ; four in Virginia, Mississippi, 

 and Arkansas ; five in Tennessee, and six in 

 South Carolina. The figures for Virginia are 

 86 ; Nfirth Carolina, 85 ; South Carolina, 89 ; 

 Georgia, 86 ; Florida, 82 ; Alabama, 88 ; 

 Mississippi, 82 ; Louisiana, 82 ; Texas, 100; 

 Arkansas. 96 ; Tennessee, 84. 



Rains have been abundant throughout the 

 belt, with a few local exceptions in the south- 

 west. Severe storms are reiJorted generally, 

 with occasional injurious consequences, while 

 some correspondents claim a benefit in partial 

 breaking of roots, stopping growth, and hast- 

 ening maturity. 



Ru.st is slight and not injurious. 



The caterpillar is present in the Gulf States, 

 but no appreciable damage is reported east of 

 Mississippi. The partial loss of leaves where 

 the worm exists is favorable to developmant 

 of the boil, Slight damage is reported in 

 Madison and Caddo, in Louisiana, and iu a 

 few Texas counties. 



The boll worm is doing some injury in bot- 

 tom lands of Russell county, Alabama ; in 

 Dallas, Denton, Eastland, and Stephens, 

 Texas ; in Pope, Arkonsas, and in Fayette, 

 Tennessee. This pest has perhaps done more 

 injury than the caterpillar, but the lo.sses from 

 all insects will be insignificant. 



The range of possibilities between early 

 frost and a long and favorable season for ma- 

 turing and picking is much wider this season 

 than usual, owing to the present rank growth 

 and greenness of the weed, and later ripening. 



Our Local Organizations. 



LANCASTERCOUNTY AGRICULTURAL 

 AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Lanciister County Agricultural and Horticul- 

 tural Society met stateiily in their room, Monday 

 afternoon, Nov. 6, with tlie following members 

 present : Joseph F. VVitmer, Paradise; H. M. Engle, 

 Marietta; John C. binville, Salisbury ; M. D. Ken- 

 dig, Manor; John H. Landis, Manor; VV. H.Bol- 

 linger, Warwick ; C. A. Gast, city ; H. G. Kesh 

 Pequea; F. R. DiffeuderlTer, city; M. Hereliey, Sa- 



