Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-05
Normal Crop Figures

Farmers in central Maine are put
ting into their barns about two-thirdS
the normal cut; an average of one
third of this cut is too poor to sell at
all and is worth not more than half
the market price TO the Farmer who
can consume it in his own barns,
Maine is one of the 81 states in the
Union which produce over 1000, 900
tons Of hay each annually under nor
NAL conditions, and a recent Maine
crop Of 1,194,000 tons was estimated to
be worth s16,597,O0O. If facts and fig
ures relating to the hay crop in CEN
trail Maine are indicative of the hay
crop of the State as a whole. Maine
hay farmers will this season pitch up
on their mows 10000 tons which at
the normal price for Names average
hay crop would be valued at only ST.
376.444. harvesting part of the crop in
wet weather having detracted one
sixth of the normal value.
In Central Maine
Some farmers with only 25 or 80
tons of hay to cut have succeeded in
lodging the rain and have hauled the
full tonnage into their barns in first
SidSS SOilUitlolI. Dut HSdiiS al have
experienced difficulties which have re-
suited in a damage of so per cent Of
the value to one-third of the crop.
The loss of one-sixth of the crop
harvested cannot be doubted when
added to the damage done to small
hay crops one considers the thousands
of tons that have been entirely ruined
on farms of large crops. Tuesday
morning there were 1000 tons of hay
in Kennebec and Somerset counties
alone which had been lying in the
fields in swaths, windows or punches
for from two to three weeks and in
addition about 5000 tons which had
been cut for over week. In central
Maine there are few instances noted
where hay has been entirely ruined,
though some farmers declare they
have hay laying out which will event.
ually be placed upon the compost
heap.
Other Crops
The central Maine potato fields are
at present in very good form and it
is hoped that the yield will be as good
as the appearance of the crop now
promises. The oat fields also promise
splendid yield, but corn, a crop Of
secondary Importance in Maine, is in
only hopeful form and will not be
successful crop unless an abundance
Of sunshine strikes the fields between
now and harvest time.
What They Say
Journal representatives visiting
farming communities have heard all
manner Of interesting facts and stor-
les about the difficulties Of getting in
the 1915 cut Of hay. One farmer de-
clared that he had not cut a spear Of
grass on his farm yielding normally 60
tons. He said: "It's still growing at
the bottom and it won't burn any these
days. l won't cut it till we have some
weather, If we don't get hay weather
till Christmas" Another hospitable
Kennebec county farmer invited the
in the lake?' asked the Journal rep
No. said the farmer,
down there on the interval where
my best grass is-better pickerel fish
ing there than you ever saw"
Mud Preeiudes Hauling
Horses cannot be driven upon some
meadows bearing heavy grass. so
deep is the mud and some pieces Of
low ground where grass was moved
two weeks ago has since been covered
with water so that the moved grass
is literally afloat. It is not an uncom-
mon sight to see grass lying in the
swath with clover that has grown upI
through it in blossom inviting the
mower the second time. Without
doubt the farmers who have continued
TO wait for fair weather are the only
fcnntinued On Pace 14-coIumn u