Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1818-03-03

The returns from Hancock, Washington and
Penobscot were not sufficiently full to exhibit a
fair statement of the abstracts and total products
Those from the other Counties are stated TO have
been very incomplete. But as they were examined
and corrected by committee Of the Legislature,
Tor the purpose of ascertanng not SO much the alb.
solute as the relative value, they doubtless may
be considered as tolerable just standard Of CON-
parisoa. With regard however, to the quantity Of
breadstnf annually produced, which is shewn in
the above table, they are much moderated. The
cause OF this may be seen in the facts, that the re
turns are made from the statement of each ndivid-
ual as TO hisown property that their statements
are to be made The basis of taxation and that peo-
pie are not too apt to overrate the value of their
property when it is TO be taxed.
Injudsing of the fertility Of Maine from the pre-
ceding statement, it should be Observed that land
actually employed in tiage cannot be concealed );
therefore the quantity stated is near the truth but
that the produce of the land ID seldom SO accurately
known, even to the owner, much less to the officers
who assess the tax. From this il may be concluded
that the absolute product pei is much greater
than IS here represented.
On the seaboard, crops Of wheat may be estmat-
ed TO vary from to f2 bushels per acre in the in
terror from ID to 10 bushels. In the eastern part
OF the District, Indian Corn may be rated at from
W TO Az bushels an acre. In the most nothcrly
settlements from which no returns were made, the
proportion of wheat raised, and its quantity per
acre are considerable higher than in other parts
La the settlements near The Northeastern frontier ,
the average crop of wheat stated 10 be about 3S
bushels, and In Penobscot, instances occur Of crops
exceeding 40 bushels per acre, on land that is no
better than is usually cultivated.
Mr.. Greenleaf has introduced in bis Statistical
view OF Maine Qrom which the preceding table
and observations are extracted) statement from
biodgets' Manuel, containing the average guam
tty per acre oil the different sorts Of grain prodn-
ced IN The several states, and has added an estima
ton for this District, which is as follows Wheat
good crop 10, common crop IS bushels FER acre
Rye, good crop IS bushels, common crop is bushels
per acre Barley, good crop, 40 bushels, common
crop, IL bushels Indian Corn, good crop 10
common crop 70 bushels per acre--potatoes, good
cfopso0o bushels, common do. 100 bushels, aud Tur.
nips 900 bushels per acre This estimate as to The
best crops produced in Maine says Mr. G. has been
questioned by respectable gentlemen in Massachu
sets proper, as too large. have endeayoured in
all the estimates throughout The work 10 guard
against excess, and in this case am very confident
that crops have been produced in this District,
considerable greater than here stated In the
estefn part OF Maine. have often heard of crops
OF Corn exceeding so bushels per acre. In Penob-
scot county have evidence which cannot dis
credit, of crops of wheat exceeding the ate of IS
bushels, Potatoes 700, and Tunnips 1900 bushels
per acre.
Mr. Ely, states the crops in West-sprin g6eld to
be--Corn from IS to 10 bushels per acre ,-Rye,
to f5-Wheat, from IL to 90 bushels an acre.
In England, the quantity Of breads,ufF is stated
to be "a bushels per acre--In France, IL bushels.
A FARMER.