REPORT OF THK STATISTICIAN. 



423 



from tbe census enumeration. Tho largest ox tension of urea is in the 

 Missouri Valley, which is becoming a preferred region for corn culture. 



The rainfall in the spring and early Hummer was unfavorable for 

 planting and for germination of the seed, which was immature in many 

 cases, being taken with too little care from fields that had been planted 

 late. There were considerable area*s in which early-planted fields had 

 been invaded by frosts, making replanting necessary. 



The average condiiiou of corn in July was 88, or VI per cent, below 

 the normal standard, indicating a probable crop below the average. 

 There was excess of rainfall in May in New England, on the Gulf coast, 

 and in the Ohio Valley and Lower Lake regions, which interfered greatly 

 with planting and growth. In the latter part of June improvement be- 

 gan to be noticeable, which was coutinued in July in Xew England, the 

 Middle States, and Ohio Valley, and west of the Mississippi. In the 

 South drought began to affect condition seriously. In Michigan there 

 was an excess of moisture in August, which caused some retrograde in 

 average condition. 



The temperature of the season was too low for the best results. In 

 the month of May, everywhere except in the Middle States and the 

 northern plateau and North Pacific Coast, temperature was lower than 

 the average. In the Missouri Valley the deficiency was 6°.9. In June 

 the interior regions, from the Lakes to the Gulf, continued low, the de- 

 ficiency being from 1° to 3°. in July temperature was low in all corn- 

 growing regions, deficient from 1° to 5°. The deficiency was 4° in the 

 lake region, and2.J°in the Missouri Valley in August, and nearly three 

 in the Upper Mississippi Valley. 



The want of seasonable rains began to be felt in midsummer, and be- 

 came more serious later, reducing condition in most of the States east 

 of the Mississippi, and in the Southwest, even more than the low tem- 

 perature. 



The effect of early frosts, in this state of the crop, were greatly feared. 

 On the 8th and 9th of September the fields were stricken severely in 

 the northern belt, the effects of which were thus described in the Sep- 

 tember report : 



The injury caused by the frosts of the past week has been reported by telegraph 

 from most of the- territory affected. The injury is mainly in Northern Ohio, the 

 northern portions of Indiana and Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Dakota, and a 

 belt of adjacent territory in Iowa and Nebraska. The Mississippi and Lake region 

 was affected much more seriously than the Missouri Valley. 



Agent Chamberlain reports for Ohio that " three frosts have killed nearly all corn 

 foliage in Ohio; damage in north half very heavy, in south half light, except as to 

 fodder. The per cent, of damage for the State is at least 20." 



Agent Rinard reports for Indiana: "Some serious damage is reported from the 

 northern division, ranging from 10 to 20 per cent, in some counties. Frost is not 

 general in central division, damage about 5 per cout. in a few counties. There are 

 no serious reports from the southern division." 



Agent Fisher says the injury to corn in Illinois is confined to low grounds in the 

 north third of the State, and that the damage in that section is about If. per cent, of 

 the promise on the 1st of September. The Minnesota agent, Mr. Young, reports that 

 96 per cent, of the corn of Minnesota is damaged. 



Agent Bay nes reports for Dakota that u the frost of the 8th appears to have fallen 

 in spots, and in some localities corn is badly injured. The damage is slight; proba- 

 bly 20 per cent, of tiie corn in the Territory is injured." 



The damage is great in Michigan and Wisconsin, especially serious on low lands 

 where the. .plant was very immature. In New York and Northern Pennsylvania corn 

 has been injured by frosts. The extent of injury to the general crop cannot be pre- 

 cisely determined at present, hut may reduce the general average four points, which 

 will mean four-fifths of a full crop, or about 23.2 bushels per acre. If the future 

 should verify this estimate, the crop will aggregate l,60d,000,000 bushels in round 

 numbers, or substantially the same as that of last year, though the soft corn, which 

 was abundant last year, would be in larger proportion this year, and therefore of less 

 intrinsic value. 



