Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-04-19

L.
Oct. I, 1909, the crop was worth n IL ,
bushei in Maine, 90 cents In Illinois. q
cents In lows, s. cents in Nebraska, q
cents in Kansas and }1.oe in Texas, while
the average for the entire country wa.
only o. cents.
Maine once raised wheat in quite large
quantities, but the farmers gave it ur
when the vast wheat fields Of the West
were planted. In 1888, when Maine paid Z
bounty on wheat, 1,0ls,sl6 bushels were
raised in the State. At the price which
obtained In Maine in 1903, the crop would
have been worth q, III, 7ss 40. There is no
reason why as large an amount cannot be
raised again, with profit.
AN DAT CROP
Maine raised oats in 1903 to the vslue OF
f2,66l 900. The crop averaged 81 bushels
TO the acre AZ against an average Of 3.6e
bushels in Illinois, q bushels in Iowa, rs
bushels In Nebrasxa, 2s.2 bushels in
Kansas and 1877 bushels In Texas, while
the average for the entire country was 81
bushels less than the average for Maine.
Let US see what this crop was worth
to the Maine farmer who raised 1t. In
Maine 1t. was worth s21.46 an acre; in
Illinois It was worth 1891; in Iowa, y. As;
In Nebraska, Ss.75; in Kansas, $l2.13; and
in Texas, sll.59, while the average for the
entire country was s12.29. The average
farm price per bushel was So cents in
Maine, 81 cents in Illinois, "a cents in
lows, % cents in Nebraska, 43 cents id
Kansas and 50 cents in Texas, while the
average for the entire country was Al
cents.
The Mainc hay crop was worth t19, 561, :
600 on Dec. 1, 1909, or 1885 per acre. The
Illinois crop was worth $14.35 an acre; the
Iowa crops ll.6l; the Nebraska crop, 500
an acre; the Kansas crop, $40 anxcre and
the Texas crop was worth 11.3o IN acre,
while the average for the entire country
was sl5.oT. The average price at the farm
on Oct /, 1903, was ga . ton in Maine,
$50 ton in Illinois, $500 = ton in Iowa,
$40 ton in Nebraska, $50 q ton in
Kansas and si1.10 q ton in Texas, while
the average for the country was S10.03.
Maine hay land averaged to yield .95 OF a
ton OF hay to the acre in 1903, as against 1.45
tons in Illinois, 1874 tons in Iowa, $50 tons
In Nebraska, 1i5 tons in Kansas and .g5 OF
ton in Texas.
Thus, though the inducement to raise
hay in Maine was greater than in other
states enumerated, the yield was less, in
dicating that Maine farmers gave their
attention to other crops, rather than that
Maine cannot produce more than IS OF q
ton Of hay to the acre. Her record in
other crops shows that she can.
Maine leads the country in number of
bushels OF potatoes raised to the acre,
with an average of 225 bushels, while the
average for the whole country Is but
1868, some 47.4 per cent, less than Names
average. Maine stands third in total
number OF bushels raised and in value OF
product, though ninth in the number OF
acres planted. Maine potatoes were
worth 1851 an acre on Dec. /, while the
Pennsylvania crop was worth but SOTO,
the Michigan crop but 1878 and the
Idaho crop but seS. The average for the
country was s57.5s.
Potato prices were the lowest in Maine
last year that they have ever been since a
record has been kept, yet the average
acre in Maine was worth appreciabiy
more than the average acre in other
great potato-raising states. 1t is doubtful
II Malice potatoes sell as cheaply again in
many years. The vast acreage planted
this year indicates that the men most in
terested were not frightened by one bad
year.
BARLEY, TOO, A VALUABLE PRODUCT.
Barley Is not considered much Of crop
in Maine, yet We raised t176,0oo worth in
1903. The Maine farmers who planted the
grain averaged to reap 2s.5 bushels from
each acre, while in Illinois the yield was
half bushei less; in Iowa 6.5 bushels less,
in Nebraska, the same ss in Iowa; in
Kansas, 10.5 bushels less, and in Texas
only 1874 bushels. The average FOR the
entire country was but 24.3 bushels.
The Maine farmers who cared to sell the
product could receive Is cents bushel
while Illinois farmers were forced to be
content with IS cents; Iowa farmers with
AZ cents, Nebraska farmers with AZ cents,
and Kansas farmers with So cents. The
average for the entire country was only
53.4 cents.
Maine farmers raised nearly half \
million dollars worth Of buckwheat last
year. The yield averaged q bushels to
the acre, Ehils the yield in nlinois was
but 1872 bushels; in Iowa but $50 bushels;
in Nebraska but 1870 bushels, and in Kan
sas but l4.0 bushels. The average for the
country was only 2o.s bushels.
The Maine farmers product was worth
tl9.61 per acre, a. against $i4.50 for
Illinois, el2.7s for Iowa, "a for Nebraska,
"a for Kansas and t14.61 for the entire
country. Maine farmers were receiving 60
cents per .bushel on Oct. /, 1909, while
Illinois farmers were receiving 90 cents;
the Iowa farmer e1.01 the Nebraska
farmer n cents aud the Kansas farmer So
cents. Thus, though, the Maine farmer
received less for each bushel of backwheat