Q96 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
Crop Reports for September, 1862. 
Yield, Breadth, Condition, and Prospects 
of the Principal Crops in all the North¬ 
ern States, for the Season of 1862. 
Reliable Reports from all Sec¬ 
tions of the Country, Gathered 
Specially for the American 
Agriculturist. 
Most important information is supplied on 
pages 314 and 315, of the American Agriculturist 
for October. The figures give in condensed 
form, the estimates of nearly a thousand careful, 
observing, practical, and reliable men, most 
of whom were selected to gather these reports 
from their peculiar fitness to aid in the enter¬ 
prise, and their opinions and estimates are spe¬ 
cially valuable. Each figure expresses a whole 
paragraph. The following summary will be 
useful to those who can not study the reports. 
THE WEATHER ( Column A). —The average 
for the whole country for a month ending Sept. 
10th, is 9.8 (10 being the average for the same 
period during five years past). The average is 
lowered by drouths in some parts of Pennsylva¬ 
nia, Ohio, Illinois, etc., as indicated in the tables. 
In the northern tier of States, the weather re¬ 
ports are very favorable, averaging above 10. 
WINTER WHEAT (5).—The gathered crop 
averages for the whole country 12 i, that is, 25 
per cent, above last year. As compared with 
the average of five years past, the figures (under 
G) are 13.9, or 39 per cent, higher. The best re¬ 
ports are from the great wheat States, Ohio, In¬ 
diana, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc. There can be 
no further doubt that, taking the whole country 
together, the aggregate yield of winter wheat 
this year exceeds that of any previous year. 
SPRING WHEAT.—The gathered crop, in 
the counties reported from, averages 28 per cent, 
above last year, and 70 per cent, above the aver¬ 
age for five years past. But from the limited 
number of reports from localities where this 
crop is most grown, and from the small yield 
in those localities, we judge that the total yield 
for the whole country is below that of last year. 
INDIAN CORN.—The reports make the to¬ 
tal area planted average about the same as last 
year, and 12 per cent, above the annual average 
for five years past. The prospective yield per 
acre on Sept. 10th, was a trifle below the aver¬ 
age, taking the whole country together. In the 
great corn-growing State of Illinois, the good 
corn weather (except in a few counties where it 
has been too dry) has brought forward the crop 
so well as to promise nearly an average yield 
per acre. Owing to drouth, the reports from 
Ohio and Pennsylvania average poorly. If 
frosts hold off late, in the northwestern States 
where the growth is very fine, the total crop of 
the country will be fully equal to last year, tak¬ 
ing into account the larger area. Early frosts 
would, of course, reduce the yield. On the 
whole, the prospect is good for a large corn crop. 
RYE.—The reports indicate that the total 
yield this year is hardly up to an average. 
OATS.—After a careful examination of all 
the reports received, and taking into account 
the area and yield where this crop is most grown, 
we conclude that the total product is just about 
an average. The aphis was very destructive in 
some localities, but not generally. 
HAY CROP.—A few counties are reported to 
have a short supply, in southwestern New York 
for example; generally, there is an abundance. 
POTATOES.—The reports indicate a gener¬ 
al good crop. In parts of Ohio and Pennsylva¬ 
nia, potatoes have suffered severely from drouth. 
The “ rot ” is alluded to in a single instance only. 
FRUIT.—Apples, Peaches, and Pears, and 
Plums wherever grown, are very abundant and 
very good. In a few counties in Ohio, they are 
reported deficient. For the whole country, many 
reports indicate that apples are nearly double 
the usual crop, and peaches nearly quadruple. 
BARLEY has turned out very well in all 
places reported from, except in three counties. 
FLAX, has been more widely cultivated than 
usual, and the prospects fully equal other years. 
COTTON.—Several reports from southern 
Illinois and Indiana, speak very hopefully. 
BEANS.—The demand for army food led to 
a large increase in the area planted, and numer¬ 
ous reports indicate a good yield. 
CLOVER SEED, is largely grown in Bed¬ 
ford, Columbia, Franklin, and Montgomery 
Counties, Pennsylvania, and our reports from 
those Counties are very favorable. Little has 
been heard from other sections of the country. 
HOPS and TOBACCO.—So far as reported, 
these were promising well in most localities. 
SORGHUM.—Reports are very favorable 
from almost the entire West. The area is large, 
and growth of cane vigorous—better than usual. 
The Foreign Demand for American 
Breadstuffs—Practical Hints: 
Last Winter and Spring, the prospect was, 
that after the harvest of 1862, the large foreign 
demand for our breadstuffs would nearly cease. 
It was certainly to be expected that after two 
short harvests, and with the extraordinary 
breadth of winter wheat sown in good condition 
last Autumn, this year would witness an abun¬ 
dant supply in England and on the Continent. 
But the result is, (happily for us) quite other¬ 
wise. Every succeeding week’s intelligence 
brings out this fact more clearly. As one certain 
indication, we may note that in London, wheat 
and flour are considerably higher than they were 
last year, and during the early summer of this 
year. It is now evident that, owing to contin¬ 
uous rains all through the early summer, the 
wheat straw in Great Britain made a poor sickly 
growth. On this- point we are positive from 
our own observation. Such straw could not 
yield large heads of plump grain. The best 
authorities, and reports from hundreds of care¬ 
ful observers in different parts of the kingdom, 
admit a yield quite below the average. In 
France, and in Central Europe, the wheat crop 
is not above the average—rather below if any¬ 
thing. The condition of the wheat crop in 
Portugal, and probably in Spain, is sufficiently 
indicated by the fact that the Portuguese 
Government has taken the unusual course of 
throwing open the ports of that country to the 
free importation of breadstuffs. Official an¬ 
nouncement of this was made to our Govern¬ 
ment through the Portuguese minister at Wash¬ 
ington, a few days since. In short, the whole 
tenor of our recent advices from the other side 
of the Atlantic, is, that there will be a steady 
demand for all the breadstuffs we can spare 
from our crop of 1862.—From what we can 
gather, the breadth of wheat sown in our own 
country this Fall is not large, owing mainly to 
the scarcity of labor. It becomes us to consume 
corn largely, and save our wheat for market. 
It will be well, also, for farmers to plan for a 
large surface of Spring Wheat, wherever it can 
be grown with advantage. As much ground as 
possible should be broken up before the ground 
freezes. The action of frost upon new-plowed 
land is very useful, and the soil broken up now 
will be in condition for working earlier in Spring. 
Exports of American Breadstuffs—Inter¬ 
esting 1 and Important Statistics. 
What is termed the “Grain Year” closed 
on the first day of September, after our last 
issue of the American Agriculturist had gone 
' o press. In our Market Review, on page 316, 
will be found carefully prepared, condensed 
tables showing some statistics that will be of 
great interest, not to farmers alone, but to all 
classes. Probably few persons fully appreciate 
how much the facts indicated by these figures 
have had to do with the support of our country 
financially, during the past year of war. At 
the beginning of the war we were largely in¬ 
debted to Europe for previous importations of 
merchandise, and for American securities held 
there ; and we have since necessarily imported 
large amounts of war materials, guns, clothing, 
and other accoutrements for soldiers. Former¬ 
ly our imports were mainly paid for by export¬ 
ing cotton. When this was stopped, it might 
well be feared, and indeed it was expected by 
those in rebellion, that our country would be 
largely drained of gold and silver to pay up 
debts already incurred. But, as Providence 
ordered it, no sooner was the North in this 
financial danger, than relief was provided. Our 
fields yielded bountifully, while the European 
harvest partly failed.-Reducing flour to its 
wheat equivalent we have the following figures: 
Exported from, the United States to Europe, 
r ending. Wheat. Corn. 
Sept. 1st, 1859.1,736,080 bushels 367,532 bushels 
Sept. 1st, 1860.8,943,740 bushels... 2,291,215 bushels 
Sept. 1st, 1861.43,525,116 bushels... 11,806,179 bushels 
Sept. 1st, 1862-50,190,160 bushels... 15,697,094 bushels 
Or adding together Wheat and Corn, and 
comparing the present and past year, with the 
previous two years, we have these contrasts: 
Thus, then, the exports of two kinds only of 
grain, have during two years past amounted to 
over One Hundred and Twenty Millions of bushels, 
worth at least, 150 million dollars, all of 
which has gone where gold would otherwise 
have gone. (We have not referred above to 
exports to South America and the West Indies, 
which have been quite large comparatively.) 
And not less remarkable is it, that this third 
grain year opens with prospects similar to the 
last two. The N. Y. City sales of Flour, Wheat 
and Corn, for the month (26 business days) end¬ 
ing September 19, stands thus: 
Flour, bbls. Wheat, bush. Corn, bush 
1862.513,000.5,482.000 .3,065,000 
1861.514,000.5,279,000. 4,270,000 
The tables of exports for September of this 
year are not yet made up, but they correspond 
with the sales. The probability of the contin¬ 
uation of this large volume of trade in bread- 
stuffs is discussed in another item.—Table 4, in 
the Market Review, shows that during 16 years 
past the total shipments to Great Britain and 
Ireland have differed but a fraction from 100 
million bushels of Corn, 100 million bushels of 
Wheat, and 214 million barrels of Flour (equal 
to a trifle over another 100 million bushels of 
wheat.) The other tables on page 316 are also in¬ 
teresting, showing, among other things, the 
volume of business in Breadstuffs at Chicago. 
