The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-13


During the severe drought In the GEN.
trail states last summer The Sentinel re-
minded its farm readers that this was
very broad country of ours, and that il
would be well not to place too much con-
fidance in the predictions of some ex-
tremists that the corn crop would be
an almost entire failure and prices cor
respondingly high.
However much we would like to see
good paying prices all the time, we can
not change conditions, and so would
help our farm readers by recording the
facts just as nearly as possible. We
now find from the report of the ma
tional department of agriculture that
the average yield of corn per acre for
the entire country is only one and a
half bushels less than the average for
the decade ending with the year 1889,
and only one bushel less than the aver
age for the three years since 1889. The
average yield this year is 22.6 bushels
per acre.
However. our readers will remember
that a shortage Of one and half BUSH
fels per acre, as compared with a ten
year average. is serious shortage after
all. The lowest yield in the ten years
was pol bushels in 1887. The big crop
years have given us several bushels
above the average. One and half
bushels shortage per acre on our entire
acreage is a large amount, and the
market price should be considerably
above the average
The highest rate Of yield, according to
the estimates it appears. was. in the
four New England states-Maine. New
Hampshire. Vermont, Massac husetts-
and the western state of Iowa. The
yield in New York is we'll above the av-
erage for the country. but only moder-
ately fair as to quality. In Pennsyl-
vania, taken for the state. quality is
poor. In New Jersey the weather was
unfavorable for late maturing crops.
detrimentally affecting both yield and
quality Of the crop, so that the mer-
charitable proportion will be lower than
usual This is also true of Delaware.
In Virginia drought reduced the yield
and the great rainfall in the months
of September and October impaired the
quality, causing rot and mold. The
crop in Illinois, one Of the heaviest sur
plus states. is reported of good quality,
sound and dry Iowa shows well to
quality of crop except in a few counties.
where it is chafy, owing to drought. In
central Michigan the yield of corn was
very light but fair in quality In the
southern counties Of that state the show
is Inferior and the early frOsts did more
damage than was at first supposed In
the northern part of Dakota, in addition
TO the light yield. the crop is reported as
inferior in quality caused by excessive
drought.
Potatoes have yielded somewhat bet
ter than was anticipated. a fact due TO
the autumn that favored the late crop
more than many had dared to hope
The yield per acre as averag ed for the
This is rs bushels less than the
average for a Jen-year period ending
1889, about twenty bushels less than in
our large crop year. 1891 and ten
bushels greater than the product Of last
year. The general quality is shown to
be good, and though the dry weather
tended TO reduce their size. the tubers
are generally sound and mealy. The
percentage of quality stands at 49,
In New England the yield is reported
good and the quality excellent. except
I'm Vermont and Connecticut. Rot APP
pears To be prevalent in sections
throughout New York and complaints
of this trouble have been received from
Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri. The
southern states were particularly fortu-
nate in the early crop OF potatoes, but
late planted suffered from drought. and
the same is true of few sections of
the West but there both early and late
varieties were much reduced in yield.
Many counties in the central West re-
port importatiOns Of potatoes for con-
sumption. The mountain states report
good crops, especially where irrigation
was used. The Pacific states have an
average crop Of good quality.
The average yield of hay is reported
at 1.32 tons per acre, as against III a
1890.
The consolidated returns from the to-
bacco growing states make the es-
Inmates yield per acre 1888 pounds, as
against $50 pounds a year ago and 74S
pounds in 1891. This years yield. as
well as last years. is below the average
Of the. last decade, and with the slight
reduction in the acreage during the
present season, the crop Of 1893 will
probably be about equal to that Of last
year.
The estimated yield Of sorghum per
acre is generally lower than reported
during the past few years. The reports
as to the yield Of buckwheat give a gen
eral average Of 147 bushels per acre, as
against al in 1892 and 1873 in 1891.
The season just ended has been a, bad
one for the production of large fruits.
with the one exception of grapes, which
have yielded abundanty Frost. wet.
drought and high winds have successive
" interfered with proper bloom, set.
growth and maturity and at the time
OF harvest a greater part of the orchards
Of the country were bare, or nearly So
Unsuccessful Farmers.
Writing about some unsuccessful
farmers of his acquaintance. Waldo