Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-07-21
BIG CROPS IN
KEYSTONE STATE
HARRISBURG, July IS.

every county IN the state during
systematic swing around the circle"
leads Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
A. l.. Martin to say that the farmers
throughout Pennsylvania general,
could not we'll wish for more salts
factory showings. ..,.a-.
In acreage and yield nearly every
thing is above the average. The only
field crop which is at all dubious is
corn which has not yet completely re-
covered from it's tardy start due to the
backward season, but conditions are
encouraging, and Deputy Secretary
Martin is of the opinion that favor
able weather during August and Sep
tember will mean normal cop Of
corn. Early frosts may work havoc,
however, or other conditions may
materialize during the next sixty or
eighty days which will destroy much
of the crop.
! Apples, too, will not be up to norm
al this year, but other fruits. berries
and garden truck have all been profit
able. Big apple crops can be looked
for, says Mr.. Martin, only in the south
eastern part of the State and in the
fertile Cumberland Valley. Through
the remainder of the State the crop
may be fair, except in the western
counties; late frosts in the country
radiating from Pittsburg spelled death
/ to tba annIa bIpcco,nc tbara
Deputy Secretary Martins crop sur
vey has occupied much of his time for
the past three or four months, roughly
speaking, and for the past three weeks
he has been Systematically gathering
up the loose ends. His reports from
most of the counties are the result of
personal visits and observations from
other districts he has careful reports
from reliable agents.
Wheat is an excellent CROP" he
said today, . and expect to see the
yield at least ten per cent. above the
normal. The crops all matured we'll
and the grain is now threshed, gener-
ally speaking. Some of it has been
hauled to the mills.
Il am somewhat dubious about the
price the farmer will receive, how
ever. He ought to get at least one dol
lar per bushel but l don't know that
he will. Last year every county paid
more than one dollar and the average
price over the State was Sl10 l hear
that in some sections the buyers are
Offering few cents less than "a dollar,
but that is scarcely a fair price to the
farmer, The average yield in the State
last year was eighteen bushels to the
acre and | expect to see the average
/ this year somewhat higher.
"Oats, too, will witness substanti-
al advance; in fact | think that this
crop will be twenty per cent. greater
than usual. Last year the average
yield of oats was twenty six bushels
to the acre. This years crop shows
every promise of doing as well or bet
ter, barring adverse conditions which
the future may hold.
Hay is excellent. The crop will be
at least ten per cent. above normal.
This is due to the increased acreage
/ planted with alfalfa and clover;
don't recall year which has been so
generally excellent for clover. 1t is
I fine, and the farmer will reap the
! benefit.
Pennsylvania, as usual, leads the
entire country in rye production. No
other State approaches us in produc-
tion of this grain.
Due to interest in the liquor bust
ness: interiected the listener.
Il can't say about that" smiled
Mr.. Martin, but the fact remains
We produce an immense quantity of
rye and | look for this years crop to
! be 10 per cent. above normal, the same
ratio of increase as for wheat and hay.
| Conditions are also good for buck
wheat, another crop in which Penn
| sylvania stands first in point of pro-
duction and likewise in quality. Farm
Sia dit hON StculuS tHelT HeluS WlIll
buckwheat and all indications point to
crop above the average.
Corn is the one backward crop. /
do not want to be an alarmist and see
no occasion for being one in connec-
tion with the corn crop, but neverthe-
less l cannot be as optimistic about it
as about the other cereals. The acre
age is -excellent-better than us
ual. For the last two weeks corn has
been growing by leaps and bounds.
But you see the corn practically stood
still for three weeks during May and
June when the late spell of spring
weather struck us. The result was that |
the.frst cultivation came along just |
at the time of the wheat harvest /; !
many farmers could scarcely give their |
corntields proper attention then for |
lack of time. Two more civilizations |
are due. Without desiring to discour-
age anyone, can only say that the
corn is not in the best of condition,
but that favorable weather until the