Middletown transcript., 1909-01-02
DELAwARrs CROP CONDITIONS
As Reported BY the Department Of Agri.
culture at tie Present Tine

GAlgu1S II INT fISbSHb ltA1S
According TO Information given ont By
the government ID the December Crop
Reporter of the Department Of AgriCul-
surs. the condition Of crops in Delaware
at this time is as foIlows:
Winter wheat-Acreage sown in the fall
Of 1908, iO0per cent; acres, ll8.000; con-
dition December lst, SO per cent: 1907,
81 per cent; 10 year average, SO.
Rye-Acreage, 100 per cent; acres, 900;
condition December lst, 9S; 1907, SS; 10
year average, 90.
The average yield per acre, in lO-year
periods, Of the important crops, was as fol-
lows:
Corn-lS67 to 1876. 2l.9 bushels to the
acre; 1877 to 1886, 2l.2; 1887 to 1895
2O.4; 1897 to l9O6,27.6.
Wheat-ls67 to 1877, III bushels; 1877
to 1885, l2.1; 1882 to 1895. 1877; 1897 to
1905, 1913.
Oate-lsB7 to 1877, 1T bushels; 1877
to 1886, % 8; 1887 to 1896, 2O5; 1897 to
1905, 222.
Barley-Eighs years to 1876, 1873 bush
els, four years to 1896, 2I9.
Hay-ls67 to 1876, l.l3 tons to the
acre; 1877 to 1886, 1.O2; 1887 to 1896,
la; 1897 to 1906, l.30.
Potatoes-1s67 to 1876, n bushels to
the acre; 1877 to 1886, II; 1887 to 1896,
63; 1897 to 1905, 20.
The condition on December lst of the
wheat crop sown this fall is estimated by
the Bureau of Statistics as 85.3, as com
pared with an average condition on De-
eembsr lst OF the past ten years of 92.2
percent. No further reports upon the
condition Of the crop will be made until
March. After March. reports will be
made monthly until the crop is harvested.
The report of the condition Of the crop
on December lst indicates what the char
acter of the season has been for planting
aud starting plant growth. The March
report reflects the effects Of the rigors Of
winter, with its abundance or lack OF
snow protection, and alternate freezing
and thawing weather.
The closer We approach the time OF
harvest the more nearly do condition re-
ports reflect or forecast the final outcome
OF the crop. On December LIST, however,
the crop is about seven months away
from harvest and many dangers intervene;
so many in fact that the question has
been raised: What value has the condi-
tion report on December lst as giving any
indication OF the fnal outturn of the crop?
1u 20 years the condition Of the crop on
December Let has averaged 90 4 per cent;
in the same 20 years the condition OF July
lst practically at harvest has averaged
80.7 per cent, an average decline iu the
seVen months Of III points. OF the 70
years, the 10 highest reports for Decem-
Der Let average 81 per cent; the 10 lowest
average 87.7. The average condition on
July 1st Of the 10 crops which show the
highest condition on December LIST was
1913; the average condition on July lst Of
the ten crops which show the lowest con-
dition on December 1st was IT'S. Here
is striking parallel between the average
condition on December lst and the aver
age condition July 1st, which is practi.
caiIy at harvest 0fthe best 10 crops on
December 1st, seven remained among the
best 10 at harvest.
If the 20 years be grouped into five
year periods, according to rank in con.
dition on December lst, the best FIVE
years on December lst, with an average
of 9S.3, had an average condition on July
1st Of Il; the second period, with an
average OF 95.7 on December lst, had an
average OF S2.6 on July lst; the third
period had 900 and TAP; the fourth per-
iod 81 6 and s1.7 per cent as the average
condition on December lst and July LIST,
respectively.
The condition reports in December are
based upon the entire area planted. The
reports on July lst are based upOn the
area remaining after deducting the amount
abandoned il tile spring. In the past 10
years an average Of 81 per ceut Of the
area planted has been abandoned before
the time Of harvest.