tildes and especially so in New England. The report for 

 wheat gives the State averages of yield per acre ranging 

 from 6.V to 22.V bushels and averaging 13 bushels. In the 

 West there appears to be an unusual range of yield and 

 quality, due principally to the excessive moisture of the 

 growing season. The preliminary estimate of yield per 

 acre of oats makes an average of 24.3 bushels per acre, a 

 yield between 2 and 3 bushels below the average for ten 

 years. The season was unfavorable for seeding, owing to 

 continued rains ; later the crop suffered from drought, and in 

 many districts rust and blight were added to the destruc- 

 tive agents. The preliminary returns of barley indicate a 

 yield per acre of 23.7 bushels, a rate of 2 bushels below the 

 outturn of last year, but nearly 3 above the low yield of 

 IbdO. The condition of rye was reported rather below the 

 average during each growing month of the season ; however, 

 the estimated yield of the present year is a little above the 

 normal, being 12.7 bushels per acre. The season has been 

 unfavorable for buckwheat from the beginning, the condition, 

 85.6, being the lowest October condition since 1888. Cot- 

 ton has fallen off in percentage of condition since September, 

 due largely to unfavorable weather conditions. The boll 

 worm is most frequently mentioned west of the Mississippi, 

 while the caterpillar has wrought some injury in the Southern 

 belt. The condition of potatoes, which has been low through- 

 out the whole season, shows a further heavy falling off' dur- 

 ing the past month, the September average of 74.8 declining 

 to 67.7 for the present return. In but two years in the 

 history of crop reporting by the Department, 1887 and 1890, 

 has the final report been lower. The season has been dis- 

 tinctly unfavorable almost from the beginning, especially in 

 the districts of heaviest production. 



The weather of September was generally favorable in the 

 tobacco-growing districts, and as a result there is an improve- 

 ment from 79.9 to 83.5. In the seed leaf districts of the 

 Connecticut valley reported condition is very high. 



In Massachusetts the average yield per acre of rye in 1892 

 is given as 15.2 bushels ; of oats, 30 bushels ; and of barley, 

 22.5. Also average condition of buckwheat, October 1, 86 ; 

 of corn, 97; of potatoes, 77; and of tobacco, 99. 



