The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-19

tered during 1899S which amounted. respectively, to s1.169,OOO and $845, 900. The item of sales is not closely comparable with that for 1909, when the inquiry covered all sales, whether of annals raised on the farms re- porting or elsewhere. It is believed however, that in many cases the re- turns for 1899 also included receipts from sales of animals not actually raised on the farms reporting.
 Crops.
 The total avlue of crops in Connec- ticut in 1909 was $22, 2,488,OO0. Of this amount S5.2 per cent. was contributed by crops for which the acreage, as well as the value, was reported, the remainder consisting of the value of by-products (straw, garden and grass seeds, ete.) derived from the same orchard fruits, nuts, forest products, and the like. The combined acreage of crops for which acreage wes re- ported was 534.S46, representing; 54.1 in farms (9s8,252 acres.) Most of the remaining improved land doubt less consisted of improved pasture, land lying fallow, house and farm yards, and land occupied by orchards and vineyards, the acreage for which is not reported.
 cut agriculture is indicated by the fact that only 9.1 per cent. of the total value of crops in 1909 was con tributed by the cereals, while nearly One-third (32.1 per cent.) was con- tributed by hay and forage, nearly l one-f1fth (19.6 per eent.) by tobacco, l and about one-siXth, CHI per cent.) by potatoes and other vegetabl The remainder. representing about 22e per cent of the total, consisted mostly of forest products, fruits and nuts, and i, flowers and plants and nursery pro- ducts.
 The total value of crops in 1909 in 1899, this increase being due in large measure to higher prices. This was decrease of 11.4 per ceat. in tn e total acreage of crops for which acre age was reported, th1s being largely due to a decrease in the aer.sge of hay and forage
 Vegetables.
 In 1909 the total acreage of pota- toes and other vegetables was 4o25e acres and their value $3,851,S61. Ex- eluding potatoes and sweet potatoes and yams, the acreage of vegetables was 1G, 25O and their value S1 9660On both acreage and value being mater- ially greater than in 1899. The re- port distinguishes between farms business. of some importance (hav- ing produced vegetables valued at $500 or more in 1sos9 and other. farms, lar as s.s on most of which vegetables ton While there were in 1909 only 571 farms in the first class. they re- of the total acreage of vegetables and about two-fifths of the total value, the average acreage of vegetables per farm for these farms being 8.3 and the average value per acre $169.
 Small Fruits.
 Strawberries were by far the most important of the small fruits grown in Connecticut, with raspberries and loganberries ranking next. The value of the strawberry crop in 1909 was s235,64s The total acreage of small fruits in 1909 was 1,5s7 and in 1899, production in 1909 was 3,824,00O quarts as compared with 3,83s,oo0 quarts in 1899, and the value $31T,- o0o as compared with $27s,O0e.
 Orchard Fruits. Grapes, and Nuts.
 The total quantity of orchard fruits produced in 1909 was ], 1,S74,000 bush els, valued at $1,327, 900. Apples con trfbuted more than fouF-ffths of this quantity, peaches and nectarines and pears most of the remainder The production of grapes and nuts was relatively umimportant. The nuts con sisted chiefly of hickory nuts, black walnuts, butternuts, and ehestnuts.
 The production of all orchard fruits in 1909 was 51.2 per cent. less in quantity than in 1899. and grapes also bowed decrease. The value Of orchard fruits increased from $1, ,011,- coo in 1899 to S1,327,0o0 in 1909, and that af grapes from S43,112 in 1899 to s43,523 in 1909. It should be noted in this connection that the values for vanced products derived from orchard fruits, and the like, and may there fore involve some duplication, while the values shown for 1909 relate only to the products in their original con dition.