The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-15
NEW ENGLAND
 LEADS THEM ALL
UNCLE SAM GIVES FIGURES TO PROVE IT-CROP AND STOCK PIER ACRE OUTCLASS RICH 1TsSrSSIPPI VALLEY -- NEW ENGLAND RETURNS GREATER AND LAND VALUES LESS THAN THESE STATES.

New England leads. When next vou hear an enthusiastic westerner or s,spruntled New Englander bemoan- ing the abandoned farms, rousn lands. etc, of the east, Just reier him to the late federal census.
 There he will learn that every acre of improved land in New Engiano produces an average agricultural pro sir1ilar area in Illinois or Iowa, anu double the values that North Dakota
 Further. the census figures show the average value of New England land is s24 an acre, while 1ilnois feacAes s95 and Iowa SS2.50.
 That New England land can be bought at 25 per cent. of what lln- nois land costs, and still produce crops and stock worth 30 per cent more, ia sientficant. What would pusl- ness man say if he could buy an ar ricIe 75 per cent cheaper than a com uetitor and sell for 30 per cent more!
 The average westerner boasts of to- +al nroducticns and will invariably re- mind the customer that While New sEngland is dabbling in hundreds, the west talks in millions. AS matter of fact. what most interests the Tar <ner ia the return per acre or unit, urovided enough units are available fo meet his demands. When these large totals of the west are dlvloed bv the similarly large acreage, the showing is at once in favor or the sast. The average farmer is not per sonally so much concerned in the to- tai production in his state as ne IS in the production of each acre on his own farm. That is the essence Of az ricufture, for the stupendous aSgre- gate Of agricultural wealth necessaI- n units back on each farm, for each acre.
 Table i shows a value of fruit per acre in the six New England states of s1, with Illinois 21 cents, and North Dakota a small fraction Of cent. The value of vegetables per acre m New England is TO cents; Illinois, the nearest competitor. has 10 cents. The value of live stock in New England per improved acre is S13.b0, slightly in excess of Iowa's showing.
 The last column, however, tells the story. since 1t includes the agricul- turaI output, as far as given by the federal census. New England leads by a fair margin. All figures are based on the late census returns, ex- cept those on fruit and vegeta bles. which data. are not yet available. These specialties were handled by taking the 1900 census and adding 10 per cent This gives Illinois and Iowa the benefit of the doubt, for pro- duction of these crops the past 10 years in New England has increased more rapidly than in the west.
 The value of New England's agri- cultural product per acre, as compar ed with iowa. and Illinois particularly will startle many. They will won der how it is possible. Table adds some light. This gives the produc- tion per acre for the six New Eng land states, also the average for New England, in comparison with the west, for such crops, as corn,T potatoes, oats, wheat and hay. Observe that Massa- chusetts and Connecticut have corn production of 48 bushels to the acre, according to the late census. while Illinois has but 39 and Iowa S7. The average for all New England is five bushels more per acre than Illinois can boast
 The showing in potatoes is even more striking. Maine heads the list with 267 bushels to the acre, and Inc average for New England is 15i The fertile lands of Illinois and Iowa produce less than 90. Minnesota does we'll to show a production of 120 bushels to the acre. On oats, New England falls behind a bit, the lower production of Connecticut and Rhode Island pulling down the average. She makes up, however, on wheat. It Is true that oats . and wheat are not grown nearly as extensively in New England as in the western states offer cd for comparison However, keep in mind the yield and value per acre, and remember there are thousands of acres in the east that would pro- duce oats and wheat if farmers really set about 1t. As regards hay, New we'll. but the small showing of Maine
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