Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-21

Written Specially for The Bulletin.
 It's one of the most delightfui things in the world to hear how farm CTS are prospering and getting rich somewhere -elsei
 I've been reading government re- ports and western farm papers for. 10. these many years. I've learned from the latter that most western farme now use automobiles to get out tneir manure with, and traction engines to do their blowing with, and gasoline engines to husk or thresh their crops with, and electric lights in their kitcl- ems and barns, to say nothing aoont always hot water in their bathrooms
 The government reports don't gener- ally blush quite so rosy. but the Slze and value of the farm crops they re- port is usually something mouth hlI- ing and heart warming.
 Eve just been reading a summary of the Nov. 1st estimate from the de- Dartment of agriculture of 1914s crops.
 According to this, the present year yield of corn is about 6O,0OG,0OO bush els bigger than last years; the wheat yield about 128,000,000 bushels bigger, the oats yield 1S,000.000 bigger; the barley yield also about l8'GoG'o0o ,60 0nSao oao els bigger; the rye yield l,SOO.V99 bushels bigger; the buckwheat yield about 3,200,000 bushels bigger; the po- tato crop about 75,0O0,000 bushels big ger; the hay crop about 4,50O,OO0 tons bigger; the tobacco crop about 29,000,- 900 pounds bigger; the apple crop about 113,000,000 barrels bigger.
 What dye think of those for fig gers.'. eh?
 But they don't begin to tell all the story of agricultural wealth which flares and blazes through the tables. Not only are yields enormous, It prices are high. The average farm price of wheat is reported at 96 cents against 77 cents at this time last year. The average farm price of oats is 42 cents against 3S last year. The total value of the corn crop is put at S1,- 8S5. .867, ,324, which is the biggest total ever predicated of that crop.
 Incidentally. and without any refer ence to anything or anybody else on earth, please note that the farm price" of wheat is set at 96 cents, the farm price of oats at 42 cents; the farm price, of corn at 69 cents. Compare those with the prices you have to pay per bushel for any one of these cereals, if you want some to feed your horses or your chickens!
 Now you'll observe that most of these crops which have yielded so richly and are priced so high are not crops which New England does m't1h with. We raise potatoes and apples,
 
 regard to potatoes and apples, even the prosperity -blushing tables of the opti- nistic department have to whisper different tale. In both cases the yield has been exceptional True, but the prices? Farm price, of potatoes is set at 54 cents bushel against 69 last year; farm price of apples is set at 56 cents a bushel against 85 a year ago.
 And let me say right here that even 7i icYnc fhnIy run in my immediate neighborhood.
 At least three of my neighbors are hauling their potatoes nine to twelve miles over mountain road and dellv- ering them at city stores for 50 cents buShel. They can haul but 40 bushels at a load, and it takes a $4-a-day team and man all day to deliver one load. This brings the farm price" in their case to 40 cents bushel. An other neighbor is hauling to the same city and delivering, two or three bust- els at a place. into consumers cellars, at 50 cents a bushel. That is the very highest I know that any farmer near me is getting. Even he, as you see, isn't getting any more than 50 cents as farm price,"
 And apples: One orchardist near me sent a shipment to Boston not long ago. They were strictly Al fruit, and they netted him return of just eight cents a barrel when the cost of bac- rels ana frelght ana drayage and com mission charges. etc, had been taken out.
 Another sent a carload to New York city recently, and got $125 a barrel for them, out of which he had to take 3S cents for the barrel itself, about 20 cents for freight, and several other smaller charges, making his net re- ceipts, to pay for the apples and the work of picking and packing and hauling, not quite the 56 cents a barrel which the department reports as the average farm price, per bushel And his barrels held good two bushels and three pecks each.
 A friend in neishboring city writes me that he has just paid $1.50 a bushel for his fall pippirs. n'cl.ed two barrels of daisy pippins of my tree a month ago which I'd have been glad to sell him at s1.5o a barrel. Even