of cotton has been shortened, a considerable increase in the 

 area devoted to this crop has been made ; but in the New 

 England and Western States, where the largest yield is 

 obtained and the bulk of the crop is grown, there is a con- 

 siderable decrease. The condition of this crop is almost 

 invariably high in July, as the vicissitudes incident to its 

 growth are met with later. The present return, 90.0, is 

 low. The lowest ever before reported for July was in 1890, 

 when it stood at 91.7. 



The aggregate acreage of tobacco is smaller than last year, 

 the present returns showing 97.3 per cent of that area. The 

 returns indicate a decided revival in tobacco planting in the 

 Connecticut valley. Massachusetts shows 119 per* cent and 

 Connecticut 110 per cent. The indicated condition of the 

 crop is rather high, standing at 92.7, a figure better than 

 the July return of recent years. 



The wet season, which has proved unfavorable for most of 

 the arable crops, has been especially fiivorable for the dif- 

 ferent grasses. The condition of clover is high, and the 

 average now stands at 95.5. The general average of timothy 

 is 96.8, an unusually high return. The condition of past- 

 ures has improved during the past thirty days and the general 

 average is 98.4. 



The July returns show the prospect for all kinds of fruit 

 generally very poor. The best reports are from the States 

 of the Rocky Mountain region and from the Pacific coast. 



The returns for cotton make an average condition for the 

 whole belt of 86.9. The June return was 85.9. 



TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY. 

 From United Statks Weather-Crop Bulletins. 



Week ending July 4. — Week cooler than usual through- 

 out the districts east of the Rocky Mountains. On the 

 Pacific coast a slight excess in temperature. The season 

 continues late throughout the whole country. There has 

 been more than the usual amount of rain in the States on the 

 Atlantic coast, except Florida, and in the lower Lake region, 

 Michigan, Illinois, and from Minnesota southward to Louisi- 

 ana. No rain occurred on the Pacific coast, except in two 

 small districts. 



