Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-12
Prevented Production
alued at Billions

Washington, March 11-Prevented
production aggregated a total aver
age value of $4,230, 10000 yearly in
eleven of the country's important
CT ops during the thirteen years, 1909
to 1921. the Department of Agricul-
ture estimates. Weather, plant dis
eases. defective seed and insect and
animal pests account for this pre-
vented production.
The corn crop is the chief sufferer,
its annual average prevented pro-
ductiou being 1,5GS.S79 bushels
which at the average December
farm prices makes its value $1,256,-
IS. 900.
Next in order is the cotton crop
whose prevented production averaged
S,ilS,oOo bales valued at $751;
$500 including seed. go
Wheat follows with an annual av-
erage damage of 1856 900 bushels
valued at $780, 900.
The average prevented production
and value OF other crops are estimat-
ed as follows:
Oats, $50, 493. 600 bushels and value
S2S0,2I1, 900; barley. los, 0G3, 900 BUSH
els valued at SSl,3lS.OOo: tiaxseed IL, :
$4,000 bushels valued at SIG, 494. 600;
$4,000; potatoes. 2lU.921 900 bushels
valued at $20l,S49.000 apples. 1863,
$4,000 bushels valued at S1SG.94G,-
600; hay 34.025.000 tons. valued at
$o16, 40l.0 900 and tobacco. 455,1oo, 600
pounds valued at SS0.11 900.
The absolute quantities of crop
production prevented by the many
and uncertain causes do not indicate
the relative severity of the damage
to the potential crop. From this
point of view the one of these IL
crops that suffers the greatest rela-
tive damage is the apple crop. with 4
yearly damage that averages 41.4 per
cent Of Il potential crop. That is to
say. only about one half of the po-
tential crop of apples. on the average,
is actually produced
The potential f1axseed crop is dam
aged. on the average. to the extent OF
A. per cent, or nearly as much as the
apple crop. and the potential cotton
crop 40.6 per cent. although in 1921.
the damage was as high as 51.4 per
cent. In relative damage as we'll as
actual the rice crop is at the bottom
of the list with 25S per cent. or only
one-quarter Of the potential produc-
ton.
Flaxseed leads all of these crops in
future uncertainty of production.
with a range between high and low
damage to the potential crop as great
as SIS per cent Of that crop. Fol-
lowing in order of uncertainty come
apples with range of 35.7 per cent,
cotton with range of sos per cent.
barley with 30.1 per cent. hay with
22.S per cent, oats with ell per cent.
with 81 y wit !,
1872 per cent. wheat and rice each
with 17.3 per cent and tobacco far
below with 9.S per cent AS meas
ures OF the uncertainty of the future
crop, range of damage equaling A.
s per cent Of potential production
goes with the flaXseed crop at the
highest extreme and 9.s per cent with
the tobacco crop at the lowest. These
are ranges for United States averag-
es. Ranges are greater in State av-
erages and in individual farm ex-
perience.
'Tf farmers could harvest a poten.
tial production" says the department
Of agriculture they could greatly
reduce the acreage now devoted to
these IL crops. The greatest reduc-
ton would be one-half for flaXseed.
apples and cotton, taking the average
of the last two years for cotton. The
reduction would be one-third for
corn. wheat. oats. barley, potatoes
and tobacco. and for two crops-rice
and hay-the reduction would be
one quarter
Had the potential production been
realized on the actual acreage Of
crops, prices would have been smash
ed. However, it will not do to say that
the farmer has lost an income equiv
alent to the value of the prevented
production based on the price of the
harvest production. The fact is that
the cost Of the efforts to produce that
portion of the potential crop which
failed is a part Of the cost of pro-
ducing that portion Of the crop which
succeeded. and the economic neces-
sity is that the farmer shall receive
the equivalent Of this abortive cost
in the price of the crop actually pro-
duced."
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