Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-24


 cart before the horse: it is pretending that the half is worth more than the whole.
 Some other figures about New Eng land crops and prices seem to me to have interest for us farmers. Accord ing to the crop reports for Nov. l, which have now been taDulated, the average corn yield per acre last sea- son was 38 bushels in Maine; 37 in New Hampshire; 37 in Vermont; 401-2 in Massachusetts; 36 1-2 in Rhode Island; and 38 1-2 in Connecti- cut. This runs pretty even, consid ering. You'll observe that Connecticut ranks second in productiveness, Mass achusetts leading her by only two bushels to the acre, while the quality of the Connecticut crop is rated at IT per cent of perfection, which is two per cent higher than the Massachusetts rating and the very highest in all New England. Moreover, Connecticut. with a. smaller farm area than any other of the six states except Rhode Island, produced 2,34S,000 bushels against 1,944, 900 bushels in Massachusetts and still lesser yields in all the other states of New England Connecticut, with oEly 4,S45 miles of area, produced al- most three times as much corn as New Hampshire with 9,o05 square miles, and almost four times as much as Maine, with its 29,S95 square miles.
 Why, say, that's not bad showing for us Nutmeggersl Despite the ap- parent impossibility of waking up any general interest over corn in this east ern part of the state, it seems clear that farmers in other counties must be doing a little suthin' with the greatest American cereal.
 When it comes to potatoes, though, the grin will have to fade off our Connecticut faces. The average yield per acre in Maine, last season, was 220 bushels: in New Hampshire 120 bush els; in Vermont 127 bushels; in Mass achusetts 105 bushels; in Rhode Is- land 125 bushles; in Connecticut-I wish The Bulletin had some extra small diamond type about the size of fiea's forefoot, to set the next figure in. in Connecticut 92 bushels.
 The average price of potatoes to the producers is stated to have been S2 cents per bushel in this state, which is the highest given for any of the six states. The average selling price in Maine was only 50 cents a bushel.
 Right there shines a suggestive side light on the question of whether. it pays to raise big crops or not. At the average price of S2 cents a bushel, the average Connecticut potato acre brought in to its cultivators a gross amount of $74.44 At an average price of 50 cents a bushel the average Maine potato acre brought in to it's cultiva- tor a gross amount of $110. Here's an actual increase of gross income of $35 an acre, though the crop sold at 32 cents less per bushel.
 Of course. this mustn't be taken as exactly measuring the increased pro- fit from the larger yield. The average Maine potato grower may have spent more per acre on fertilizer or labor or both than the average in Connecticut. But, knowing something of the meth ods and makeup of farmers in both states, don't believe the difference amounted to $35 an acre,-or quarter of $35.
 Perhaps one of the most curious things about this government summary is the variation snown in the farm price of hay. On the first of November it averaged $19.S0 a ton in Maine and $1360 a ton in Vermont. while at the