Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-11-21
CORN CROP FAR
BELOW AVERAGE
Fifth Largest Acreage Gives
Smallest Yield Since 1918
QUALITY WORST IN 80 YEARS
White Potato Production Slightly Ex-
eeeds Record Output In 1917
And is22-Peanut Crop
Worst on Record


Washington. - The smallest corn
crop since 1918 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 substantial
ly below those OF the last four years.
but the merchantable quality of this
years crop is the lowest in 30 years,
with the exception of 1917
Preliminary estimates Of production,
issued by the Department Of Agricul-
ture, placed the crop at 2,477.53S, 900
bushels, the acreage at 105,6O4O00, or
IA per cent. more than last year, and
the merchantable quality Of the crop
at 6S.2 per cent Corn production
during the last four years has aver
aged more than 3,00O,0O0,O00 bushels.
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 running far
above earlier expectations because in
some regkns the crop escaped frost
and cont tued growing far into octo-
Der. Pei capita production this year
Is 4.0S Fbushels, compared with an
average of s.76 bushels per capita
during the last 20 years.
There will be an ample supply of
good potatoes at moderate prices, Gov
ernment officials declare. and because
Of low prices in some Western States
some good potatoes will be fed to live
stock There are indications that
some of the crop may not even be
harvested. The average yield ran to
12l bushels an acre. as compared with
9s.1 bushels the 10-year average
Drought in important Southern pro-
ducing States greatly reduced the
sweet potato crop. which is estimated
at 75.62O,OOO bushels. or about 25,OOO,-
600 bushels below the average of the
last i've 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
S0.652OOO bushels is estimated, pass.
ing the record crop of 1902 by more
than 100000 bushels.
Tobacco production is 261. 600 900
pounds less than last year, with a
total crop of 1.21S.975.OOO pounds
estimated Bright tobacco shows a
decrease of 115,O0OO0O pounds; cigar
types, 100000 pounds. and Mary
land and Eastern Ohio export types,
1,s1700O pounds. Quality Of the crop
varies in New England. is good in
Pennsylvania, not so good in the
Miami Valley Of Ohio and poor in Wis,
eonsin Quality in Kentucky is un.
certain as yet and will depend upon
rains during the curing season Mary
land export suffered some from frost.
Bright tobacco in the main producing
regions is slightly better in quality
than last year, though still low.
Corn production average 2S.5
bushels an acre this year, as com
pared with 29.2 bushels last year and
27.6 bushels the 10-year average.
The apple crop, estimated at Ill.,.
2Ss,00O 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,OO0 barrels.