Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-10-25
The Later Harvest Corn, Potatoes
and Apples.

and Apples.
The corn crop of the country is sub.
stantially all secured so that estimates
now have substantial base to rest upon
The crop was late all over the country,
yet after all it has gone through to ma
turity save in limited tracts where frost
got in small measure of damage. The
crop in the aggregate is not bumper
one yet is above that of last year, and is
better ripened than was the case year
ago. The crop is not sufficient to leave
any prospect of low selling value for
this important cereal during the year to
come. In this state the crop was con-
siderably better than last year, though
on the whole not up to the usual aver
age. Sweet corn for the canneries
reached the desired maturity save in the
case of few belated paintings. Nearly
every factory had few acres frosted,
but none so badly injured but that it
went through the cutters. The weather
was cool during the season of canning
so that the factories were able to keep
fully up with the advancing maturity of
the corn. 1t may safely be stated that
the pack of sweet corn in the state was
never of higher excellence than that put
up the present season.
The yield of ''cut" corn, in proportion
to the measure or the weight of ears,
was unusually heavy, so that where the
crop was fairly well grown the returns
TO the farmer per acre were quite salts
factory, and in some cases even surpris-
ing. Comparatively few we'll cared for
acres returned less than fifty dollars, and
some ran as high as one hundred dollars
for the "cut" corn on an acre. This
yield has made the sweet corn crop the
present year in the main a very satisfac-
tory one to those who grew it.
Quite large amount of the corn late
planted for the silo was caught by the
severe frosts, and was badly injured.
While the silo is the best place to save
corn thus killed, yet it cannot fail of
proving an inferior fodder in the end.
Potatoes in the country at large are
reported full average yield. In this
state they are now substantially all har-
vested. The yield has proved abundant
throughout the state, ranging from two
to three hundred bushels to the acre,
with extremes above that. Unfortunate
ly, however, reports of rot are quite
general from all parts of the country.
To what extent this will cut down the
otherwise abundant supply no one can
now know. In this state the loss is
proving heavy, and whether the rot will
continue now that the potatoes have
been taken from the ground remains to
be known. From Commissioner Gill
y, 10 k,,l 4 &c hot
ing for the prevention of blight and rot
has not been general among those who
are not making this crop speciality, and
whether this precaution has proved a
reliable protection will appear later in
our columns. 1t will be recalled that it
was not fully successful in warding OFT
this destructive agency last year in the
station experiments. A broad view OF
the situation at the present time seems
to indicate that there is no probability
of an over supply of this commodity the
coming winter
With apples the unexpected has hap
pened-the gales of the last week in
September and the first two days in
October, in this state, shook off close to
twenty-five per cent of the commercial
apples then on the trees. The Baldwins
and Ben Davis stood the racket best,
but in exposed places the larger kinds
like Greetings, Kings, etc., were more
than half stripped from the trees. This
will cut down Names supply of number
one fruit many thousands of barrels, as
did the notable gale of September Is,
'96.
There is no improvement in the apple
market yet in sight. They are selling
low abroad, although shipping from
this country has hardly commenced.
Maine fruit will have to wait while to
find an attractive market Maine
Farmer.