Of the eight principal sugar-cane producing States, Florida, 

 Texas and Arkansas report improvement in condition dar- 

 ing August, while Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, 

 Georgria and Alabama show declines. All but two of these 

 States show conditions below their ten-year averages. 



An improvement in the condition of rice during August 

 is reported in but one of the rice-growing States. In Louisi- 

 ana, the chief State of the rice-growing industry, the condi- 

 tion is 20 points below the mean of the averages of the last 

 ten years. 



Of the States having four million trees and upwards in 

 apples, eleven report an improvement in condition during 

 August. All but six of the important apple-growing States 

 report conditions ranging from 7 to 32 points above their 

 ten-year averages. 



Reports as to the production of peaches as compared with 

 a full crop show eight of the principal States with conditions 

 above those of Sept. 1, 1901. In all but eight of the States 

 having 2,000,000 trees or upwards in 1899 a production ex- 

 ceeding the ten-year average is probable. 



In all of the States in which the production of grapes is 

 of more than local importance, except New York, Iowa and 

 Kentucky, the present condition is above that of Sept. 1, 

 1901, and the condition in all Init five of the principal grape- 

 growing States is equal to or above the ten-year average. 



There is a decrease in the number of stock hogs now being 

 fattened as compared with the number a year ago in every 

 important State except Pennsylvania. Reports as to size 

 and weight of stock hogs indicate a condition above the ten- 

 year average in l>ut four of the principal States, — Illinois, 

 Missouri, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. 



The average condition of cotton on August 2(j was tM, as 

 compared with 81.9 on July 25, 71.4 on Aug. 24, 1901, 

 68.2 on Sept. 1, 1900, and a ten-year average of 73.7. The 

 present unprecedcntedly low average of condition, which is 

 two-tenths of a point lower than the condition of Sept. 1, 

 1896, is due mainly to the ro[)orts from Texas and Alabama, 

 in both of which States the prevailing^conditions arc nothing 

 less than disastrous. 



