Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-11-20
CROP REPORT
FOR NOVEMBER
Virginia Cereals Below Ten Year Az
crage-Apple Crop 81 Per Cent.


The early forecasts of small crops
for Virginia are confirmed by re-
ports made since harvest which show
yields much below the average, ac-
cording to the November report of
the Virginia Crop Reporting Ser
vice.
AS a result of unfavorable wealth
er conditions during the past season
the yield per acre for corn, hay, po-
tatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, sor-
ghum, oats, barley, buckwheat, and
all fruits is considerably below the
ten year average. The only crops
which made yields above the aver
age were wheat, peanuts, and cotton.
In the entire history of the State
Virginia farmers have seldom ex-
perienced season which was so I'M
favorable for crop growth. The av-
erage yields for the State would
have been much lower than they are
but for the fact that twenty-five
counties in the northern and south
eastern districts had sufficient rain
fall to produce good crops while the
remaining counties suffered from
the worst drought in a generation.
The average yield per acre of corn
is estimated to be % bushels, COM
pared with the ten year average of
273 bushels. Many farmers in the
northern district report excellent
yields; but in the central, southwest
ern, and southern districts crops
were exceedingly poor, although
corn on river and creek low grounds
made fair yields. The total produc-
ton is estimated to be 1880, 600
bushels which is only 81 per cent of
the average production for the past
ten years of 52,212,000 bushels. The
amount of corn available for use is
much less than usual for in addition
to the short crop this year the car
ry- over from the 1924 crop is very
small being reported at 2.3 per cent
of last years production while the
average carry over is approximately
3.5 per cent. The corn crop for the
United States has turned out bet
ter than had been expected. The
preliminary estimate is 3,013, $780,
900 bushels which is 20 per cent lar
ger than the small crop last year,
but is only slightly above the five
year average.
The average yield of potatoes in
Virginia this year is estimated to
be sc bushels per acre and is the
lowest since 1914. The early crop
made fairly good yields, but the dry
weather during the summer months
caused late crops to make little
growth and yields have been very
disappointing. In some instances
growers have harvested only a few
bushels more than the amount of
seed planted The total production
of potatoes is 2,642, 900 bushels of
which the late crop consisted of q
$50, 900 bushels. The production of
potatoes throughout the United Stat
es is still somewhat uncertain be-
cause part of the crop was in the
ground on November 1st and losses
from freezing could not be accurate
ly estimated. The estimated crop of
46,500,000 bushels is only 76 per
cent of the crop harvested last year
and is also considerably below the
average for the past five years.
The season was unfavorable for
the growth of sweet potatoes and
the average yield per acre of 104
bushels is much less than usual. Ow-
ing to an increase in acreage this
year the total production, however,
is slightly less than last year, being
estimated at 4,7S4,000 bushels
against 5,171,O00 in 1924. Carlot
shipments front he commercial Sec
lions to November were 5,027
cars, compared with 5,213 the total
shipments for the 1924 crop.
The apple crop is reported to have
been 81 per cent of normal. indicat-
ing total production of 1884, 900
! bushels, compared with Is, 1S4, 600
bushels produced last year. Since
October 1st rains ara cool weather
caused considerable improvement in
the apple prospects, and the estimate
of the commercial crop has been in
creased slightly over the October
forecast of 1,3S6,000 barrels. Last
year the commercial crop was g.
$4,000 barrels and the five year
average production is 1,58S,000 bar
rels The carlot shipments to No
vember were 5,146 cars, compared
with 1852 cars to the same date
last year and 1900 the shipments
for the 1924 season. The CONNER
cial apple crop for the United States
is slightly larger than had been ex-
pected last month; New York, Penn
sylvania and several mid-western
states report increases while the
crop in the Pacific Northwest is
turning out slightly less than had
been expected.