The Press., 1918-07-11

Evidence that the farmers or Con- necticut are mindful of the call for in- creased food production in the inter- ests of the war is shown by a sum mary of the surveys conducted in nNe counties with the approval of the Con- peeticut State Council of Defense. One of the benefit secured by the census of approximately 13.OOO farms is that the state knows its agricultural re- sources in five counties.
 The crops of 1918 are expected to excel those of the year previous by large margin. In four counties alone farmers told the census takers that they had increased the amount of land under cultivation to 26,371 acres. That the total for all counties in the state would show an appreciable difference between last years acreage and this years is indicated by the partial sur vey made.
 According to the census returns, Litchfield County holds leadership in most farm products. Farmers in that section intend to raise more hay, oats. rye and corn for siIage than any of the other counties reported. Hartford County is raising more corn for grain than any other county and also more potatoes. Tobacco is one of the fore most crops in Hartford County, and the acreage planted in other counti~ is small in comparison. In nearly all classes of live stock Hartford County leads.
 The total acreage which promises production is given herewith by cOun- ties as shown in the tabulated sum- mary: Hartford County, S5,532 acres l; New Haven County. 66.s51 acres; Fair field County. 4S.T7O acres, and Holland County, 37.62S acres.
 Valuable statistics on live stock and food production were secured. and these will be used in various ways to aid in the movement for increased food supply and to help win the war. The | census takers in each community used a questionable which was designed to give as complete an inventory of each | farmers agricultural resources as was needed by the state.
 In collecting the data the state se- cured information as to the acreage devoted this season to hay, clover, al- RnT ha winter wheat. spring wheat, corn for grain, corn for silage potatoes. to- baceo and garden truck. Each farmer was asked to give the amount of acre age under cultivation last year for these products. and a comparison of the 1917 and 1918 crop reports showed plans for increased food production in every one of the counties surveyed.
 Hay looms up as the largest crop raised on Connecticut farms. with Litchfield County having 74,994 acres, or as much as New Haven and Fair field Counties combined. The acreage devoted to oats and rye is large. but corn monOpOlizes the most land. Ap- proximately 50,OOO acres in i've coun- ties was sOwn to corn this year. The potato ranks high as a food product, with 14,0O0 acres set aside for 1t. Gar den truck covers an approximate acre age of II 900 acres.
 The inventory of live stock included the number of the following classes : Poultry, brood sOws, pure bred Sows. grade sOws, bOars, pure bred bOars. number of other swine, hives of bees. horses, work horses. work oxen, milch cows, calves and helfers, pure bred calves and heifers. dairy bulls, grade bulls. pure bred grade bulls, beef breeding stock. beef feeding stock. sheep and pure bred sheep.
 Returns from all counties showed that the census had covered the fol. lowing number of farms in each cOun. | ty: Hartford, 4,151; New Haven. 2.619 Fairfield, 1,O60; Holland, 1919; I.itch- field 1922.
 Representing as it does the first farm survey taken iE Connecticut since 1s45, the fund of statistical in- formation presents a wide range of possibilities. Classified lists of farms are being arranged by State Librarian George s. Goddard for the county farm bureaus, and farmers will immediately begin tO reap the benefits of the cen sus through advice and information from the United States Department of Agriculture, the State Agricultural Col lege at StOrrs and the Food Supply Committee on Food Supply and Con- servatiOn of the Connecticut State Council of Defense. Various means of using the census returns to advantage are now being worked out by the coun- ty farm bureaus.