The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-12
Maine Crops.
Exhaustive Report of the Yield in the
State-A Favorable Showing.

&c. L. NJ" has received returns from about
one hundred correspondents in all sections of
the State, which he forwards to the journal.
From these reports it appears that the grain
crop will only be little above an average with
the previous two years. The hay crop, how
ever, was immense, and thousands OF tons
have had to be stacked out of doors in every
county. In some portions of the State the far
mers have only recently finished cutting their
hay crop, owing to delays caused by heavy
rains the latter part Of July. Those who fin
ishea before the rains began secured the crop
in excellent condition, and with less shrinkage
in quantity than was expected. When the
midsummer rains began, considerable hay was
spoiled, and what remained to be cut is pretty
woody and far less valuable as food product
than would otherwise have been the case.
During the summer old hay has been selling
$40 to $12 per ton, and new hay for Sc to SO.
The large crop will ensure continuous low
prices and will probably cause the farmers to
winter larger amount of stock than usual.
All the crops have been looking finely till very
lately, when the dry weather began to make it
self felt After the large rain fall of the spring
and summer some curiosity has been excited as
to why the crops should feel the drouth SO
quickly and two reasons have been given for
it: First, the dry weather of the past two
years, followed by the heavy spring rains, left
the ground so porous that the midsummer
rains quickly soaked through the ground, leav-
ing the surface no lasting benefit; and second,
that the abundant spring rains caused the crop
roots to spread themselves out beneath the sur
face of the ground instead OF extending down.
ward as usual in dryer seasons Probably both
reasons are true, and both have contributed to
the blight now resting upon the corn and pota-
to fields of the State. At present it is too ear
ly to estimate the full effect of the drouth.
Corn set we'll and filled out full enough, so
that the corn canning factories have generally
started up throughout the State. The effect
upon the late planted corn is reported quite se-
| we're, and the crop will fall below the average
| in Androscoggin, Knox, Penobsoot, and Som.
| erset counties. In Cumberland, Franklin,
kennebec, Piscataquis and Waldo countieS,
the crop bids fair to run from 105 to 200 per
cent. above the average and in the other coun-
ties about the same amount of corn will be
raised as during the past two years.
The potato crop of Name is annually assum-
ing large proportions, and Notwithstanding the
rust and the ravages Of the beetle, the crop
| this season bids fair to be considerably above
| the average. In Aroostook, Ponobscot and
| Piscataquis counties the average crop will on
| ly be maintained by an increased acreage as
| the rust and beetle have seriously affected the
| crop. In Piscataquis county the beetle was
| more plenty than ever before, and in the at
| tempt to prevent its ravages too much paris
| green was used for the benefit of the crop.
| The condition of the crop in the other coun-
| ties now indicates yield of from 102 per cent.
| in Waldo to 200 per cent. in Lincoln Indica-
| tons of rot are reported from Kennebec, Knox,
| Piscataquis and Somerset counties, but
| the cool, dry weather now enjoyed will have
| the effect to reduce the damage from this evil.
| The crop is rusting badly in all the counties,
and fields situated upon high ground are sut-
| fering severely An increased acreage IS
| reported from Androscoggin, Aroostook, Pis-
| cataquis and Oxford counties. Thus lar new
| potatoes have been selling for iSom ntty to
| seventy-five cents per bushel.
| The wheat crop is going to be far above the
| average in all the counties except Franklin,
| Hancock, Knox, Penobscot and Washington.
| The average in Knox county has been yery
| much reduced on account Of the ravages Of the
| weevil during the past few years, and the
| fields are now given up to barley and other
| grains The wheat fields of Franklin, Penob-
| scot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington
| counties have also been visited by the weevil,
| but no serious damage has been done to the
crop. The yield of barley also promises well,
| Oxford county being the only one that will
| probably fall below the average. The yield OF
oats will be heavy everywhere except in Pc
nobscot county, though the crop there is esti-
mated at ten per cent above last years. Com
paratively little buckwheat is raised in Maine