The Crops Of The Country

Nothing can prove of more interest to the farmer than accurate reports of the crops of the country. The erop report of the U. S. department of agriculture issued August ii gives the following general summary of the corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley and buckwheat crops of the eountry, and with the exception of the corn erop the report is sufficiently flattering. Corn. - Crndition of this erop has fallen off two points during the month, the average for the whole breadth standing at 90.8, against 92.8 in July. The decline has been confined almost entirely to the States of large production, the surplus región of the Ohio and upper Mississippi Valleys, and was due to dry weather approaching drought in Indiana and Illinois and low temperatures in all sections of the corn surplus districts. The low temperature which so generally prevailed in July throughout the larger part of the area checked' development andprevented recovery from the effects of the cool, late spring. The erop continúes late, the result of the poor start and the absence of hot, forcing corn weather durihg July. Unless August should prove unusually favorable and the season be a long one there is grave danger that a large portion of the erop may not properly mature. The Great American Desert, which a few years ago appeared uon school maps, this year has received an even excessive supply of moisturje, and the breadth beyond the Missouri river gives promise of magnificent yields of the great American cereal. While the general average is reasonably nigh correspondents qualify by emphasizing the necessity for a favorable season from this date on. In the surplus states the averages are: Ohio, 93; Indiana, 88; Illinois, 88; Iowa, 90; Missouri, 87; Kansas, 88; Nebraska, 89. It should be noted that but one of the sur-71 plus states returns an averrge higher than the average for the country. Wheat. - The August returns of this erop relates to spring-sown grains only, the July report being the last for winter wheat. The average for the whole breadth has improved slightly during the past month, advancing from 94.1 to 95.5. The improvement is general in all sections except Washington, where hot winds injured the prospects in some districts. The state returns are uniformly high except in the - case of Wisconsin, where the injury wrought by the cool, unfavorable early season has not been overeóme. The Standard selected for purpose of comparison, 100, representing a condition closely approaching an ideal yield, is nearly equaled by the returns for a number of states, and many county returns make condition locally above the Standard. The averages in principal states are: Wisconsin, 79; Minnesota, 9S; Iowa, 95; Nebraska, 97; North Dakota, 99; South Dokota, 98; 'Washington, 90. The July report showed a condition of 96.2 for winter wheat at date of harvest, and this, with the present condition of spring wheat, indicates a product of wheat this year but very little short of the capabilities of the soil under the most favorable conditions. The hot weather which has prevailed in a portion of the district since August 1 may have wrought some injury either to quality or quantity of the erop, but of this no definite information can be had until next month. European reports show that the earlier indications of wheat shortage were not exaggerated, the deficiency becoming especially noticeable as harvest progresses. Oats. - The condition of oats improved two points during the month and the present return, 89.5, indicates a medium yield per acre. The blight which ruined the erop last year and was feared againatthe date of the July report has appeared in but a few isolated localities. The weather during the later season and at harvest was generally favorable, and late growth was sufficient to largely offset the poor start and deficiënt stand. The cool weather which retarded corn growth in the Ohio and upper Mississippi valleys was favorable to this cereal, materially advancing State averages. Rye. - The condition of rye in the spring-wheat States, while not as high as wheat, is above the average of last year, the present returns being 89.6 against 86.8 in August, 1890. Outside of Wisconsin, where the same conditions that have lowered wheat prospects injured this erop, the State averages are high, ranging from 96 to 99. Barley. - The erop shows improvement since the last return, the average for the country standing at 93.8, an advance of three points. The indications are favorable for a large erop in most of the districts of heavy production. California re- turns 100, or practically a perfect erop, but in New York and Wisconsin, however, the prospectisunfavorable. Buckwheat. - The return of acreage shows an increased breadth devoted to buckwheat, the increment being largely in the Eastern and and Middle States, wherehe larger part of the cropisgrown. As in the case of cereals, the season has been favorable to this erop, and the general average, 97.3, is the highest August return in eight years past, indicating a product of large proportio-ns.