Sept. 1894.] 



CROP PROSPECTS ABROAD. 



81 



XI.— CROP PROSPECTS ABROAD. 



Crop Prospects in the United States. 



The latest reports of the Statistician of the Department of 

 Agriculture of the United States furnish the following particulars 

 as to the condition of crops in that country : — 



The preliminary returns of the acreage of maize showed 106 

 per cent, as compared with the acreage of 1898, this being an 

 increase in round numbers of 4,000,000 acres, or from 72,000,000 

 to 76,000,000 acres. The average condition in August was 69*1, 

 there having been a decline of 26 points since July 1st. 



The advices received in August from correspondents and 

 threshers respecting winter wheat indicated a good yield of 

 excellent quality. The condition of spring wheat in August 

 was 67*1, against 68'4 in July, a decline in condition of 20 

 points since June. The average per-centage of acreage for both 

 spriDg and winter wheat for the whole country was returned as 

 95 '3, making the total area under wheat about 33,000,000 acres 



The condition of oats was reported in August to be 76'5. Last 

 year the condition of the crop on August 1 was 78 "S. Over 

 large areas the crop this season was injured in many localities 

 by spring frosts, and injuries from drought have been still more 

 numerous. There were also many complaints of rust, blight, 

 and the depredations of aphides and other insects. 



In July barley had declined about six points smce the report 

 of the previous month, and on August 1st it stood at 69*8. 

 Over two-thirds of the entire crop of barley is grown in five 

 States. Of these California is the principal, producing a fourth 

 of the entire product. 



The condition of rye on August 1st was 79*8 as compared 

 with 87 a month earlier. 



The acreage of potatoes is returned as 105T of last year's 

 area, making the area under the crop this season aoout 2,738,000 

 acres. One of the chief causes of the general increase of the 

 surface planted with potatoes is stated to be the extremely low 

 price of cereals during the past twelve months. A number of 

 localities reported serious damage from drought, while others 

 complained of the unusual virulence of the Colorado potato-beetle. 

 The condition of the crop on August 1st was 74. Last year at 

 the same date the condition was 86. 



The hay acreage is given as 92 4 per cent, of that of 1893, or 

 45,843,000 acres as compared with 49,613,000 acres last year. 

 The condition of the crop was returned as 75-6 on August 1st, a 

 decline of nearly five points from the previous month. Drought 

 and freezing are said to be the chief causes of the low general 



