Evening star., 1924-11-11
WORST CORN CROP
IN PAST Il YEARS.
Ample Supply of Potatoes As.
Sured-Less Tobacco
Raised, Report Shows.

The smallest corn crop since 1913
was the reward of American farmers
this year, who planted the fifth
largest acreage to that crop in the
history of farming. Not only was
the harvest substantially below those
or the last four years, but the mer-
| chantable quality of this years crop
is the lowest in 80 years, with the
exception of 1917.
Preliminary estimates of produc
ton. issued by the Department of
Agriculture, placed the crop at 2,470,-
53S.000 bushels, the acreage at 105,
| 604 900, or IA per cent more than
last year. and the merchantable quail
ity of the crop as 63.2 per cent. Corn
production during the last four years
has averaged more than 100000, 600
bushels.
Potato Crop Larger.
The white potato crop, estimated
at 454,119,000 bushels, is slightly
larger than the big crops of 1917 and
1922, yields in Northern States run
| ming far above earlier expectations
because in some regions the crop
escaped frost and continued grow
ing far into October. Per capita
production this year is 4.08 bushels,
compared with an average of 3.76
bushels per capita during the last
30 years.
There will be an ample supply of
good potatoes at moderate prices,
Government officials declare, and be-
cause of low prices in some Western
States some good potatoes will be
fed to livestock. There are indica-
tions that some of the crop may not
be even harvested. The average yield
ran to 1.21 bushels per acre as
compared with 92.1 bushels, the 10
year average.
Small Sweet Potato Crop.
Drought in important Southern pro-
ducing States greatly reduced the
sweet potato crop. which is estimated
a 75620,000 bushels, or about 90
100000 bushels below the average of
the last five years and the smallest
crop since 1916.
Flaxseed production returned this
year to the high level of the period
from 1902 to 1908, and total crop of
1852 900 bushels is estimated pass
ing the record crop of 1902 by more
than 100000 bushels.
Less Tobacco Raised.
Tobacco production is o6l 900, 900
pounds less than last year. with a
total crop of 1.213.915.000 pounds
estimated. Bright tobacco shows a
decte of 115,000000 pounds, cigar
types $4,000 600 pounds, and Mary
land and eastern Ohio export types
1.S11,000 pounds. Quality of the crop
varies in New England, is good in
Pennsylvania, not 50 good in the
Miami Valley Of Ohio and poor in
Wisconsin. Quality in Kentucky is
uncertain as Yet and will depend
upon rains during the curing season.
Maryland export suffered some
from frost. Bright tobacco in the
main producing regions is slightly
better in quality than last year
though still low.
Average Apple Yield.
The apple crop, estimated at IT,
23s,000 bushels, is slightly above the
average Of the last five years, but
smaller than last year. Prospects are
particularly poor in Washington,
Idaho. Michigan and in commercial
sections of Pennsylvania and Mary
land The total commercial crop is
estimated at 27.1SS,000 barrels
The harvest of pears this year has
been exceeded only once, in 1920.
Production has about doubled since
1909. California leads this year with
1867 900 bushels.
Peanuts suffered from unfavorabIe
weather and the smallest crop since
the Government began to keep record
of them in 1916 is the result. the
estimate being 5s2,535, 900 pounds