The Portland daily press., 1869-03-29
DAILY PRESS,
PORTLAND.
Monday Morning, March 20, 1859.



Agriculture for February 1860 shows that the
yield of wheat per acre in New England is
scarcely equal to the previous season, except
in Vermont. The average yield of New York
is placed at 14.6 instead of 14.5 last year,
New Jersey gives one-tenth of bushel less.
and Pennsylvania three-tenths more; Virgin
ia four-tenths more, and the more Southern
Atlantic States all make a decline in the
average. Texas and Tennessee report small
er yield than last year, while Arkansas claims
an advance from 92 to 1876 bushels. Ken
tucky and West Virginia make no material
advance, and Ohio scarcely holds a previous
average. In Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin
a small Increase appears, and still more
marked result is shown in Minnesota. An
increase is made in Iowa and Kansas. ea
The decline in the price of wheat is quite
noticeable, in twelve months, amounting to
AZ cents per bushel in New England, Sc cents
in New York, AZ cents in New JERSEY. As
cents in Pennsylvania, II cent in Ohio, n
cents in Illinois, 4S cents in Iowa. The diff
erences are less striking in the Southern
States which grow wheat only for home con-
sumption. In the central and populous parts
of the West, the prices this year are lower
relatively to the more Western and North
western States than last year. The price Of
barley is, on the contrary, higher than in Jan
uary last, in most of the States. Oats main
tain their former rate in. some of the New
England States, but show decline in the
Middle and most of the Western States ex-
cept in Kansas where they are higher than
last year. 8
The variation in the price of corn is con-
siderable. The price in Massachusetts in
January 1858 was 81 50 per bushel and twen-
ty-one cents lower in January 1869. In
Maine it was 81 80 and this year 81 13. The
crop in Kansas was in 1866 very heavy, but
last season unusually light. In 1868 the
price was SO cents and in 1869 90 cents per
bushel.
By an examination of the tables we no
tice considerable reduction in the price of
potatoes. This is probably owing to on in
creased production as much as to the general
tendency to decline in prices Of all farm
products.
In winter wheat small increase of aver
age is reported, but not more than to balance
the increase in population. The condition
of the crop is fair, except in Wisconsin,
Mi chigan, West Virginia, Tennessee and
Alabama where it does not look quite so ia
vorable. On the whole, the crop may be said
to have obtained fair start which is all that
can be claimed for it at the present writing
We trust a large breadth of spring wheat
will be sown in our own Stale this season.
The tables show that the average yield in
Maine last year was ten bushels per acre,
while in some other States it was little more
than half as much. In Ohio it was but IL
bushels per acre. In Vermont it was sixteen
bushels, the largest yield of any State in the
Union, except, perhaps, Catalonia from
which there is no report. The average yield
of corn in 1858 in Maine was little over 20
bushels per acre. Massachusetts about 81
bushels, Vermont 3s, New Hampshire 40, and
the smallest yield was in South Carolina a
little over ten bushels, and Florida about ten
bushels. In Illinois, Indiana and Ohio the
yield was about "a bushels, and in Ohio il
was 81 bushels. The average yield of rye in
Maine was Is bushels per acre which is rath-
er more, we believe than the average OF the
other States. The average yield In our State
was $1.61 per bushel. Maine produced little
more than sixteen bushels of barley per acre
which is hardly equal to the average of other
States and its average price per bushel was
$1.29.
In looking over the average yield of wheat
per acre in all the States the past year, and
comparing it with the average several years
ago, we find great falling of. That it is
owing to unwise husbandry there can be nc
doubt. In wheat growing regions the soil has
been exhausted by constant cropping, the cul
tivators continually drawing from the soil it
best elements and giving nothing in return
Such management, if continued, win event
uallyl compel US to import our wheat from
other countries. But we will not despair o.
our wheat crops. We have no fear that our
country by bad husbandry will be driven to
import her breadstuffs. Our territorial limits
Il
much enlightened in the science OF agri-
culture to permit such state of things t
exist. And yet the cultivators of the sol
must be more aroused to the Importance 0
the subject, and the older States must engage
in wheat culture in good earnest and with
more wisdom. We must not go on as W.
have in years past, harvesting abundan
wheat crops from the same lands without ma
nure and with half culture. The Prairie
Farmer well says, "We Of the Prairie States
in our scramble after the dairy, hop culture
and all manner of new and good things, mus
not lose sight of the natural adaptability Q
our soil and climate to the production of th
great cereal. nor of that other fact that w
shall some day be called upon to produce
largely"
The farmers of Maine will do well to hee'
such words and govern themselves accord
ingly. AGRIcoLA.