THE AMERICAN MAIZE AND POTATO CROPS, 1902

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1613, 28 January 1903, Page 65

THE AMERICAN MAIZE AND POTATO CROPS, 1902

Last year the American maize crop, as measured by yield per acre, Avas the poorest on official record, the average working out at no more than 10.4 bushels, the reduction to so low a level having resulted from the disastrous heat waves that spread over the United States in July, 1001. This year’s crop, on the other hand, is exceptionally good, for, according to the November report of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, the general average yield is 2d.8 bushels per acre, or 3.3 bushels in excess of the decennial average. The 1802 crop, however, varies greatly in different parts _ of the country, some of the maize-growing States being as much below average as others are above. Thus, at the bottom of the list are such miserable averages, yields per acre as 8.1 bushels for Texas, 8.4 for Alabama, 9 for Georgia. 10.7 for South Carolina, and 11.5 for Mississippi. At the other extreme are 39 bushels per acre for Missouri, 33.9 for Indiana, 33.7 for Illinois. 38.5 for Ohio, and 33.8 for Pennsylvania. Tile average yield in some States this year is thus nearly five times as large as that in others. The Washington authorities have issued their estimate of the yield of the American potato crop simultaneously with the figures concerning the maize crop. Last year potatoes, like maize, gave much below the average yield, whereas on this occasion both are above the average. Potatoes are estimated this year to give a general average yield of 95.4 busliels per acre, as against a decennial average of 75.7. Last year the average yield was imt at 59.9 busliels. and in 1990 at 80.8 bushels. Of these States each of which grows upwards of 100,000 acres of potatoes, all except Michigan and New York return a yield much in excess of their respective ten-year averages. The average quality of the new crop is high, being estimated at 90.4. as compared with 78.4 a year ago and BS.I two years ago. It is evident that American farmers have raised a big crop of sound tubers this year; and it js not unlikely that, in view of the inferior quality and poor yield of our home-grown crop, American potatoes will find their ww into the English markets. It is regrettable that a progressive country like the United States —and Canada, too, for that matter —should continue to estimate the yield of bulky produce, such as potatoes and turnips, in bushels per acre, instead of by weight, as is the practice in the United Kingdom. What a bushel of potatoes will weigh must depend mainly upon the size of the tubers, for the larger these ars the less will be the aggregate weight, on account of the air spaces.—" The Times.”