REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. ^ 



very doors for milk, cream, butter, beef, mutton, and, in fact, all 

 animal products. We advise that more farmers specialize in the 

 production of hay, corn and small grains, and feed the same to 

 high quality animals upon the farm. 



The total crop of hay for Maine in 1913 is estimated at 

 1,200,000 tons, worth at the farm about $17,000,000. 



CORN. 



Corn has aWays been a favorite crop throughout the southern 

 and central portions of the state. Of late years sweet corn has 

 largely displaced the old fashioned yellow corn. The crop this 

 year, whether flint or sweet, is probably not over 50 per cent of 

 the average crop, and varies little from the crop of 1912. 

 Weather conditions have been very discouraging the last two 

 years. Most of the flint corn grown is packed in silos and the 

 same is true of a large percentage of the stover from sweet cor:i. 

 Silos have increased in numbers quite rapidly in the last decade. 



SMALL GRAINS. 



About 3,000 acres of wheat were produced in the state in 

 1913, the crop averaging something like 25 bushels to the acre. 

 About 5,000 acres were sown to barley and the yield is figured 

 a little under 30 bushels to the acre. Buckwheat covered an 

 area of about 13,000 acres, with a yield of 32 bushels to the 

 acre. The most important grain crop in the state is oats. The 

 acreage and the yield were above those of immediately previous 

 years. The area was 140,000 acres; yield, 40 bushels to the 

 acre. Oats have been sown largely on land to be seeded to 

 grass, they serving to protect the latter during its early growth. 

 In late years many farmers are seeding to grass in their corn. 

 This method tends to reduce the oat crop. Also it has become a 

 practice with many to cut oats green and feed them in the 

 straw. We believe oats to be a very valuable crop and worthy 

 of more extensive cultivation. Should future seasons continue 

 to prove unfavorable to corn, it may be wise to make more of a 

 specialty of oa:ts, with greater care in the selection of seed, 

 using varieties giving large yields. The present crop of 40 

 bushels to the acre may be very largely increased. In fact, it is 

 possible to double it. 



