The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-06-16

he lGFNtlIE NiUsfN III AtFFt ittllk'h
in order of valuation were: Hay and
forage, $16936,OOO; potatoes, $1743,-
600; oats, $1,169O0O; corn, $1,1O2,0OO
barley, S22G,0O0; and buckwheat, 1922
600.
Increase in Hay and Forage.
The acreage devoted to hay and for
age in 1909 was 1,O306lS acres. 1t
was the only crop that showed an in
crease in acreage for the past decade.
The increase since 1899 was "a per
cent. The hay and forage crop has
constantly increased since 1889 ris-
ing from 994107 acres in that year
to 1006,375 acres in 1899 and again
to 1,030,61S acres in 1909. The aver
age yield per acre was LAC tons; the
average value per acre, $15.S5. OF
the important forage crops, timothy
and clover mixed" leads also in 9th
ers, not only in acreage but also. in
value In 1909 its total acreage was
567 016 acres valued at $S9l0,000
The nearest to ii was timothy
Alone with an acreage of 1872, 422 ac-
res, valued at $2,557000. Following
closely upon timothy came Coarse
forage" with 55,365 acres, valued at
81, OBS 900 "Other tame or cultiva-
ted grasses" though having a larger
acreage than either timothy or
coarse forage ranks fourth with an
acreage of 1877, 149 acres valued at ST.,
96S,O0O.
Potatoes Decrease
From 1899 to 1909 potatoes decrea-
sed in acreage from 2S,353 acres to
26,S50 or 5.9 per cent Notwithstand
| ing the decrease in acreage, potatoes
increased in yield from 3547,S29 bush
els in 1899 to 4,145,630 bushels in
1909. The average yield per acre
was 1874 bushels; the average value
per acre. $649O
Decrease In Oats
During the past decade the acre
age in oats decreased 1862 acres, or
2.5 per cent From 99,54S acres in
1879, they increased to 101,5S2 acres
in 1889, dropped to 1892 acres in
1899 and again to 71.510 acres in
1909 The aggregate yield in 1903
was 2.l41,357 bushels, the average
J Nltlu pei dtlt pW huOlfAn anu llit Az
erage value per acre S16.35.
Great Decrease in Corn
During the last ten years the acre
age of corn decreased 17,746 acres, or
29.S per cent From 55,249 acres in
1879 corn dropped to 41,790 acres in
1889, and in 1899 rose to 60,6S3 &C
res-the maximum acreage for the
period-only again TO fall by 1909 to
42,SS7 acres The total yield in 1909
was 1,715.133 bushels, the average
yield per acre 40 bushels, the aver
age value per acre $3.50
Barley Decreases
From 1899 to 1909 the acreage in
barley fell from 1852 acres to 1856
or 1873 per cent The acreage of bar
ley in 1909 exceeded that for 1879 by
only "a acres Hence in 1909 it had
returned TO its acreage for 30 years
ago. The acreages for 1889 and 1899
were, respectively 16,427 and 12,152
The total yield per acre was q bush
els, the average value per acre S21.3O
Buckwheat Falls in Acreage
From 1910 acres in 1899 the acre
age OF buckwheat fell to 1863 by 1908
or 22.7 per cent From 1879 when its
acreage was 1863, it fell to 13,42g
in 1889 and to 1910 in 1899, a con.
slant and consistent decrease. The
total yield for 1909 was 174,395 bush.
els the average yield per acre % bus
hels and the average value per acre
$3.50
Crop Comparisons
The cereals had an aggregate acre
age of 1851 acres in 1909 as against
160.127 acres in 1899, a decrease OF
25,516 acres, or 1873 per cent. Corn
showed the largest decrease in acre
age, losing 1916 acres. The aver
age value of cereals per acre in 1905
was $3.50, slightly above that of hay
and forage. Corn shows the highest
average value per acre Of the cereals
rye the lowest The hay and forage
acreage in 1909 was greater by seven
fold than that of he combined Ger
calls, and its value was more than
four times the total of all other
crops here reported. There are but
a small number of miscellaneous
crops, though the average values per
acre of several of them are well
above those of the more usual crops