Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-02
THE CROP REPORT.
THE LESSONS OF THE MAY
WHEAT. MAP.

The idea of "wLeat map" of Ohio
grew out of an attempt, made last No
vember by the Secretary of the Board OF
Agriculture, to account nationally for
the immense variations of yield per acre
in different counties, shown in the tabu-
lar statements. For example, the cOun-
ties of Fulton, Huron and Miami stand,
respectively, close te Galiia, Jss,kss.a,
and Meigs alphabetically in the tables,
while in 1879 the yields per acre, respect
lively, of the first three are, (omitting
fractions) 20, 1s, and 24 bushels, and of
the last three only 8, Z, and 10 bushels,
respectively, or less than half the yield
of the first three. But upon writing the
averages and totals of the various coun-
ties in bold figures in proper position on
small county map of Ohio, certain
facts and laws at once presented them
selves to the eye. 1t was found these
variations were not mere matters of
chance, but that the low averages and
small totals chiefly lay in the two south
easterly tiers of counties, lying along the
bend of the Ohio river, while the large
averages and heavy totals lay in the
more level alluvial, or at least drift
soils of the rest of the State.
The crop of 1880. similarly arranged,
revealed certain other interesting facts
and laws. Hence, maps of both these
crops were prepared and published in
the November Crop Report of the State
Board, with notes calling attention to
the points and facts revealed by a COM
parison of the two.
The reports on the condition of the
wheat crop, May 1st, 1884,. from 1000
correspondents in nearly all the town
ships of the State, furnish the data for a
similar map of this years prospective
crop, given herewith. A careful study
of this map, with an occasional refer
ence to the other two, will show certain
facts, aud suggest certain inferences.
First, the two tiers of counties nearest
the Ohio river, beginning with Hamil-
ton, Clermont, and Brown "a single tier),
and then taking two tiers around up to
the point where the river leaves the
State in Columbiana county, % counties
in all, or about ene-fourth Of the whole
State, give us this year probable yield
of only little over four million bushels
of wheat, or one-tenth part of the yield
of the State, while the remaining three
fourths of the State give nine-tenths of
the probable crop. The yield per acre
too (if given on the basis\ reported)
would be only little over bushels in
these counties, while in the other coun,
ties it is about IS bushels. Thus it will
be seen that the remaining GO counties
yield about two and a half times as
many bushels per acre, and per county
as the % river counties. 1t is not ther
at all surprising that the State Board oi
Equalization has sustained the assessors
in placing far lower valuation on these
river counties than on such counties as
Stark, Wayne, Licking, Champaign
Clarke, and Miami.
One lesson, then, from the facts
seems to be that these river counties are
not grain counties at all. The past three
years have been fine wheat years, ant
the balance of the State has yielded full!
1s bushels per acre for that time. Blu
the river counties fall on the average be
low ten bushels per acre, and that is be
low limit of profitable production. Tht
river counties, however, that lie abov'
Marietta, show considerably better Yields
than those that lie below it. Still, as ;
, rule, these hilly river counties are no
adapted to tillage, unless it be for fruit
and tobacco, or other high-priced pro
ducts that furnish and. require mucl
profitable hand-labor. And so this ant