Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-15
CENSUS SUMMARY
OF STATE CROPS
Hay and Forage Leads in Yer
mont-Potatoes, Oats, Corn,
Barley, Buckwheat Follow.

Washington, June 13.--Statistics rela-
tive to the leading crops for the State
or Vermont collected at the 18th decennial
census, April 10, 1910, are contained in
an official statement Issued to-day by
Acting Census Director Falkner. 1t is
based on tabular summaries prepared
under the direction of DR.. lie Grand
foWers, chief statistlclan for agriculture
IN the bureau of the census. The figures
are preliminary and subject to slight
revision later, when a few other farms.
whose returns, now incomplete. will be
included In the final tables. It Is not ex-
pected that these additions will materially
nodify the amounts or rates given in
the present statement.
the leading crops in 1909. ranked in the
order of valuation. were: Hay and forage
$l6,SS6.o0o; potatoes, s1.13,oOo; oats, ST.
$4,000; corn, sl102. 900: barley, s226, COO; and
buckwheat. s123. 600.
The acreage devoted to hay and forage
IN l9o9 was 1O30,6lS acres. 1t was the
only crop that showed an increase in acre
age Tor the past decade. The increase
since 1899 was "a per cent The hay and
forage crop has constantly increased since
1852 rising from 99i107 acres in that
year to lOO6,375 acres in 1899, and again
to 1oSO,GlS acres in 1903. The average
yield per acre was li6 tons the average
value per acre. $15s5. OF the important
forage crops, timothy and clover mixed"
leads all others. not only in acreage but
also IN value. In 1909 its total acreage
was 5GHol6 acres, valued at $500, 900 The
nearest to 1t was timothy alone" with an
acreage of 1922 acres, valued at s2557,-
900. Following closely upon timothy came
'conrse forage" with 55,36j acres. valued
NJ S2,o3"W". other tame or cultivated
grasses, though having a larger acreage
than either timothy or coarse forage
ranks fourth, with an acreage of 197 ,li9
acres, valued at s196S. COO
POTATOES DECREASE.
From 1899 to 1909 potatoes decreased in
acreage from 2S,363 acres to 26,89 or 90
per cent. Notwithstanding the decrease
In acreage. potatoes increased in yield
from 3,5i7,S29 bushels in 1899 to 41i5630
bushels in 1909. The average yield per
acre was l54 bushels; the average value
per acre, sGi.90.
During the past decade the acreage in
oats decreased 1862 acres. or 2.5 per cent.
From 99,54S acres in 1879 they Increased
=
acres In 1899. and again to 7,5l0 acres in
100. The aggregate Yield in 1909 was 2.
II 1857 bushels. the average yield per acre
50 bushels. and the average value per acre
$685..
During the last 10 years the acreage Of
corn decreased 17.746 acres, or 1913 per
cent. From b5,249 acres, or 293 per
dropped to 4l,79o acres in 1889. and In 1899
rose to G0,623 acres, the maximum acre
age for tho period, only again to fall by
| 1909 to A2,SS1 acres. The total yield in 1909
was 1.7i5,l33 bushels, the average yield per
| acre 20 bushels, the average value per
acre $3.50
From 1899 to 1900 the acreage in barley
fell from 1882 acres to 1856 or 129 per
cent. The acreage of barley In 1909 ex-
| oeeded that for 1879 by only "a acres
Hence In 1863 IT had returned to its acre
age for 90 years ago. The acreages for
1889 and 1899 were, respectively. 1912 and
1852. Tho total yield in 1909 was 2s5 c0S
bushels, the average yield per acre was
q bushels, the average value per acre
s2l.30.
BUCKWIIEAT FALLS IN ACREAGE,
From $50 acres in 1899 the acreage OF
DuChWlleal Ic!l 10 ',to5 Dy IyVS, or - I
per cent From 1879. when its acreage
was 1853. 1T fell to 13,429 In 1889 and TO
500 in 1899, a constant and consistent
decrease. The total yield for 1909 was
l74,39i bushels, the average yield per acre
20 bushels, and the average value per acre
$3.50.
The cereals had an aggregate acreage
OF 1851 acres in 1909. as against 100 127
acres In 1899. decrease of 25,5lG acres. or
l5,9 per cent Corn showed the largest
decrease in acreage, losing l1,746 acres.
The average value of cereals per acre in
1909 was $3.50, slightly above that of hay
and forage, Corn shows the highest aver
age value er acre Of the cereals; rye the
lowest. The hay and forage acreage in
1909 was greater by sevenfold than that of
the combined cereals, and its value was
more than four times the total value OF all
other crops here reported. There are but
small number OF miscellaneous crops
| though the average values per acre Of
| several Of them are well above those Of
| the more usual crops