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Potatoes were, in many instances, quite green in the tops, when the frost of the middle of September occurred. Where the tops were not killed, the tubers grew considerably during the several days of mild weather which succeeded the frost, and the yield of the crop was fair-better than was expected considering the unfavorableness of the season.

The autumn was too dry for the ready preparation of ground for winter wheat. Still, a fair breadth was got in. That which was sown early, on fallow ground, properly tilled, made a fair growth before the ground froze. In other cases the growth was feeble, and the plants made but a small show at the setting in of winter. It will be remembered, however, that the crop of 1868 was sown, and met the winter under still more unfavorable circumstances, and yet turned out the best yield, on an average, that has been obtained in the State for several years.

YIELD OF CROPS.

In November, circulars comprising blank tables, were sent, by the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, to the presidents, or secretaries of the Agricultural Societies of each county in the State, with a request for returns in regard to the yield of the principal crops. Only nineteen counties, however, were heard from. A summary of their returns is presented in the following table, showing the yield, per acre:

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*It may be that these figures were intended to represent bushels of ears.-S. H.

Some information was comprised in the returns which cannot be tabulated, and is therefore submitted in the following form:

In Barry county, it is stated, the crops of oats, Indian corn and potatoes, were much injured by drought, and that there were but few apples. Bay is said to have had but a light crop of apples; peaches and pears shown at the county exhibition, were very fine. In Berrien, Indian corn and potatoes were injured by drought. In Branch, wheat is said to have made so large a growth of straw that it lodged badly; that the cold, wet spring, early frost in the fall, and dry weather in summer, did much injury to Indian corn and potatoes; that there was but a light crop of apples, attributed to the cold spring, and but few peaches; that hops yielded about 400 lbs. per acre, were injured by frost, and worth only ten cents per pound. In Calhoun, wheat is thought to have been lessened in yield by the midge, to the amount of about one-third; that Indian corn was much injured by drought, and that rainy weather in the earlier stages of the crop, prevented proper cultivation; that apples were only one-fourth of an ordinary yield, and peaches were mostly winter-killed; that hops yielded about 586 pounds per acre, or about half an average crop. In Cass, the returns state that the Indian corn crop was seriously injured by a high wind about the time of earing, and some badly-tilled pieces were hurt by drought; that apples were about one-third an average crop. In Genesee, the buckwheat crop was badly hurt by dry weather, though but little was sown; the crop of apples was so small as not to be worth securing; hops yielded about 400 pounds per acre, the deficiency being attributed to dry weather, and the neglect of yards in consequence of the failure of the crop of 1867; no sale for the produce of 1868. In Hillsdale, the crops of wheat, barley and hay, are considered "good;" oats and buckwheat injured by drought; Indian corn, a fair crop, but early frosts made considerable "soft corn;" potatoes, small and not an average yield; apples, a light crop, and the fruit small; no peaches; hops, a fair crop, but injured

by frost-worth about fifteen cents per pound. Ionia reports a poor apple crop; the peach crop "a failure;" the hop crop about one-third of an average, with "no sales." For Kalamazoo, the reporter, Mr Frank Little, states that the hop crop was equal to about three-fourths of an average, and worth from twelve to sixteen cents per pound. Under date of Nov. 24th, he writes:

"The season, as you well know, has been a peculiar one in many respects, and especially as to the exceedingly high range of temperature during the months of June and July. I send you, enclosed, a statement of temperature for twenty-eight days, as kept by myself, where the thermometer indicated 90° to 99° in the shade. This is unprecedented, I think, in the experience of any one in our State; it is certainly in my own, and I have been a resident here thirty-seven years. The effect upon vegetation of such a heated term, was noticeable in a marked degree, and very much diminished the yield of wheat, which up to this time bade fair to be the largest crop we had harvested for years. Potatoes suffered exceedingly; corn was not injured as much, though much stunted and retarded in its growth; the pastures also became sere and yellow, and the supply of milk failed. The later sorts of potatoes came on after the fall rains, and the weather being favorable, we have realized a partial crop; so also of corn, and the present condition of the pastures is fully up to the average, and stock seem to be doing well. The fall-sown wheat is well rooted, and in good condition to go into the winter; and withal, the whole situation with farmers now is quite favorable, so far as I can judge."

Lapeer reports apples a "fair crop," and peaches "good;" hops also "good." Leelanaw reports a "fair yield" of apples, and a "good" crop of peaches; a very dry season, with no rain to benefit vegetation from June 5th to July 29th. Macomb reports the hop crop at about 800 lbs. per acre, worth twelve cents per pound; no peach crop in the county for several years, Ottawa reports that barley and oats were injured by the

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