ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF 



AGRICULTURE. 



The year 1916, so far as climatic conditions are concerned, 

 has been even more severe upon the producing community 

 than was the year 191 5. The extremely wet weather in the 

 early spring, which prevailed throughout the entire southern 

 section of the state until well into August, made the planting of 

 hoed crops a matter of so much uncertainty that farmers gen- 

 erally confined themselves to the smallest possible areas. This 

 weather was identical with that throughout the northern states 

 as far West as the Mississippi river, except that in June the 

 western states became changed from flood to drouth, and in 

 many states the crops were ruined by dry rather than wet 

 weather. 



It is, however, with a good deal of satisfaction that I inform 

 you that the small crops produced have netted the producer 

 considerable more money than any preceding year's crop. The 

 wonderful county of Aroostook this year, as last, was exempt 

 from the ravages of the storm in the early part of the season, 

 and did not suffer materially with drouth throughout the entire 

 year. About 65 per cent of a normal crop of potatoes was 

 raised and more than that of oats and wheat. 



Potatoes have sold for an unheard of price all through the 

 season, beginning at the unusually high figure of $2 per barrel. 

 This means that, after two or three years of misfortune, either 

 owing to an excessive crop and low prices or a short crop and 

 high prices, the average Aroostook farmer will be in a position 

 to square himself with the world, and have something to the 

 good. The southern part of the state suffered, as I have said, 

 very materially from weather conditions, but even then the 

 prices are sufficiently high so that with even an exceedingly 

 small crop more money is being received than with the bumper 

 crops that have frequently been sold at a loss. Less fertility 

 is being sold from the soil and less work is required to handle 



