232 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
The Agriculturist Crop Reports. 
Breadth, Present Condition, and Pros¬ 
pects of the Principal Crops, Gath¬ 
ered from 1,500 Reporters in 
24 States and Territories. 
Our reports for July 10th, show an exceeding¬ 
ly favorable condition of the crops over the 
whole country. There will he no failure of 
any of the small grains, nor does the pres¬ 
ent prospect indicate any serious falling off 
in the amount of the corn crop. Of course this 
crop depends much upon the weather of Sep¬ 
tember, and the holding off of frosts. "We have 
had so much cold weather, and the season was 
so late, that we have almost a right to expect a 
late Autumn, and good ripening time for our 
great cereal. 
Corn.— There has been from the first some 
cause for anxiety in regard to this crop, hut the 
recent hot weather has brought it up very rap¬ 
idly, and reduced greatly the chances against 
our having a full crop. There are sections 
where the last year’s crop is still on hand in 
considerable quantity, and where there has been 
considerable less planted than usual, but in gen¬ 
eral, where there has been any diminution in 
the breadth of corn, the introduction of Sorghum 
more than makes it good. Upon this crop de¬ 
pends our supplies of Beef and Pork, and those of 
our readers who have expressed their regrets 
that we have not included these in our statistic¬ 
al tables of crops will see, if they consider, that 
not only the price, but the quantity of pork and 
beef put into market, has a direct relation to the 
price of corn. This depends upon its abundance 
and the condition in which it is secured, that is, 
its fitness for transportation. The number of 
cattle or swine in any one district at any par¬ 
ticular time, has very little to do with the sup¬ 
ply or the price, except late in the season, when 
the corn crop has been chiefly converted into 
beef and pork, and of course, we except also the 
prevalence of wide-spread epidemics, which 
might, and in all probability would, seriously 
affect the market both for corn and meat. 
The Corn crop of the West is represented as 
just about as promising as usual. In Illinois, 
Wisconsin, and Michigan, and some other States, 
there are fears of a short crop, a falling off of 10 
to 20 per cent being the estimate ; but in Ohio, 
Indiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New- 
England States, on the whole, the appearance 
indicates a full average or even above, and a 
little more than the average breadth planted. 
In New-York and New-Jersey the corn looks 
poorly, and is estimated at considerably less 
than average. 
Whhat. —The weather during the wheat har¬ 
vest in the great Western States, and we may 
include also the Middle States, has been, up to 
our last accounts, prevailingly very fine, so that 
the crop is well secured. Throughout Ohio our 
reporters seem to be in a real state of ecstacy 
over the crop, and mark it from 20 to 300 per 
cent better than common, the average being 
about 56 per cent for the whole State. 
In Indiana farmers seem to entertain very 
much the same feelings, and the average in this 
State is about 44 per cent better than common; 
while in Illinois it is 30 per cent. This, of 
course, settles the matter with regard to this 
crop. And although we must say, we think, in 
the excitement of satisfaction in so good a crop, 
and such fine weather, several undoubtedly 
have considerably over-rated the crop, and thus 
raised the average of our returns, still it may be 
put down as a considerably larger crop than 
usual, throughout this wheat-growing region. 
Spring Wheat has been considerably dam¬ 
aged, and averages a small crop in many local¬ 
ities in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, where 
comparatively little other wheat is grown. In 
Minnesota the crop is better than in the other 
States named, and a full crop may be anticipat¬ 
ed, if it be well harvested. At present our re¬ 
ports from other districts run fully 15 per cent 
below a fair average. Still the breadth sown, 
as compared with last year, will almost, if not 
quite, make up the deficiency. 
Rye. —The crop, so far as reported, and we 
have full reports of that part of the country 
where it is most cultivated, is fully up to average. 
Oats have been affected by the rust some¬ 
what, and in some sections injured by the aphis. 
The weather was unfavorable at the time of 
sowing and in May, which this crop never 
recovers from. The crop will therefore be light. 
Hay and Forage Crops. —The Hay crop at 
the West is remarkably good, and well secured. 
In Pennsylvania it is represented as nearly 20 
per cent above average. In New-York, how¬ 
ever, it falls nearly as much below, and in the 
Eastern States about 9 or 10 per cent short of a 
full crop. The drouth in Northern New-York 
and New-England has greatly affected this 
crop. Many of our reporters include Hungarian 
grass and sowed corn with the hay crop, which 
is right, as they take the place of it entirely. 
Barley. —We have reports from Ohio, Wis¬ 
consin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, New- 
Hampshire, and Vermont, which represent the 
crop hardly as favorably as-last month’s report, 
though, on the whole, better than average. 
Sorghum. —So far as we can now judge of 
the crops, the prospects are quite as good as 
usual. The average of the reports puts it about 
3 per cent above a full crop. The breadth it will 
be remembered is two or three times that of 
any previous year. 
Flax is reported as remarkably good, with 
greatly increased breadth. The reports we have 
put it more than 12 per cent better than usual, 
and the amount sown at fully double. 
Tobacco. —We have few reports, but hear no 
complaints, except that it is a little backward. 
Buckwheat. —It is still too early to report 
much about this crop; we hope for fuller reports 
next month. 
Peas and Beans. —The demand for these for 
the Army and Navy has induced a much larger 
breadth to be sowed than common, and except 
where they have been injured by the drouth in 
northern New-England, they look very promis¬ 
ing, averaging several per cent better than usual. 
Fruits —Still promise well, though many ap¬ 
ples have dropped in some sections, still, more 
than an average crop is left. 
Crop Prospects in Europe. 
London, Tuesday, June 24, 1862. 
A question of much interest to farmers and 
many other classes, both here and in America, 
is the condition and prospects of the growing- 
crops, especially of the great commercial crop, 
wheat. I have recently passed through the 
Northern part of Wales and Ireland, across the 
Southern part of Scotland, and about 400 miles 
down through the inland agricultural regions of 
England. During this trip, every opportunity 
has been availed of to learn from personal ob¬ 
servation, and from constant inquiry of farmers, 
the condition of the growing crops. During the 
past week I have also met and conversed with 
many agriculturists from different parts of the 
Kingdom, who are drawn here by the great 
show of the Royal Agricultural Society. The 
conclusion I draw from all these sources of in¬ 
formation is, that a much larger area of wheat 
was sown last Autumn than usual, at the ex¬ 
pense of the usual area of Spring crop. But 
there is now much anxiety as to the effects of 
the continued rains. I was prepared to find 
much more rainy, and damp, foggy weather 
here than in America, but during two weeks 
past I have had but few glimpses of the sun, and 
Sunday last was the only day in which my um¬ 
brella has not been used to shed off falling rain. 
The crops here may have become, in a measure, 
“ acclimated ” to this daily shower bath, yet the 
effect of so much damp weather can not hut be 
detrimental. All are hoping that clear skies 
tvill come in time to allow the wheat heads to 
set and fill out well, yet it is evident that there 
is much anxiety, and no one claims to hope for 
more than average yield, notwithstanding the 
large area sown. The markets are a pretty cer¬ 
tain indication of the general feeling and ex¬ 
pectation, and, as the commercial reports will 
inform you, prices of wheat and flour have been 
advancing here for several days. The recent 
advices from France and other parts of Europe, 
and by telegraph up to to-day, report severe 
rain storms in some places, and drouth in others, 
with a general expectation of a moderate, if not 
deficient, yield of wheat. The stock of old 
grain, at the close of the present year, will of 
course, be very small. I have therefore, little 
hesitation in predicting that there will be a con¬ 
tinued foreign demand for American breadstuffs 
after the next harvest here. O. J. 
Royal Agricultural Show, etc. 
Since the letter from the Editor on page 286 
was printed, a note from him has been received, 
from which we take the following extract. "We 
find room for it here, though it might more ap¬ 
propriately follow the letter referred to, as a post¬ 
script : “You will see that no prize is given to 
the superb Short-horn Bull “ Lord Oxford ,” bred 
by Samuel Thorne ofDutchess County, N. Y., 
and exhibited here by the Duke of Devonshire. 
In my opinion he is the best animal among all 
the splendid collection of 250 Short-horns gath¬ 
ered in Battersea Park as competitors for the 
Royal Society’s prizes, and as a set-off to my na¬ 
tional partiality, I may add that the same opin¬ 
ion was freely expressed by many good English 
judges on the fair grounds. Though in flesh 
enough for the purpose for which he is kept, he 
is not so fat and sleek as some other bulls in the 
same class, (those above 3 h years old). Plump¬ 
ness, i. e. fatness, seems to be one of the requi¬ 
sites to secure success at the English as well as 
at many American show grounds. 
The display of animals is probably the largest 
and best ever gathered into one place. I send 
herewith a summary of the entries from Great 
-Britain.” 
Short-liorn Cattle of all classes.250 
Devon do. do.66 
Hereford do. do.97 
Ayrshire uo. do.70 
Jersey, or Aldernev do.22 
Various other breeds do.177 
- 682 
Horses of all kinds.285 
Sheep—number of entries of all kinds.642 
Pigs do. do. do. .194 
1803 
Entries of Stock from the Continent. 183 
Total entries of all kinds. 1986 
[Total number of animals shown, about 2.400 or 2,500.] 
