712 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



increased during the first decade and diminislied during the second 

 in the case of hay and t()])ac('o; in the case of wlioat there was an 

 increase of prochiction j)er acre throughout the two decades, the 

 respective percentages of increase ])eing 3.4 and 3.3. 



A marked cliange in tlie prothiction per acre of all crops appeared 

 in tlie decade ]S9()-1005 in comparison witli the mean of the pre- 

 ceding ten years. The production i)er acre of corn increased 7.7 

 per cent; of wheat, 6.3 per cent; of oats, 15.6 per cent; of barley, 

 11.1 per cent; of rye, 21.3 per cent; of buckwheat, 23.1 per cent; of 

 hay, 22 per cent; of potatoes, 15.3 per cent; of cotton, 3.8 per cent; 

 and of tobacco, 5.2 per cent. The weather of the four years 1906-1909 

 was not as favorable for crop production as it was in the preceding 

 ten years, so that the production of oats per acre declined, that of 

 hay remained stationary, and that of cotton and barley barely 

 increased. 



In the case of other crops the mean production per acre continued 

 to show large increases, the mean of these four years over that of 

 the preceding ten years being an increase of 7.1 per cent for corn, 

 9.6 per cent for wheat, 6.5 per cent for rye, 6.6 per cent for buckwheat, 

 15.5 per cent for potatoes, and 9.7 per cent for tobacco. 



Summarizing the annual estimated yield per acre, the chart on 

 opposite page is presented, whicli is self-explanatory. 



The following tables exhibit the trend of production per acre for 

 the crops named from the decade 1866-1875 to 1909, or the mean of 

 the last four years, 1900-1909, as the case may be. The figures amply 

 establish the fact that the agriculture of tlie United States, after 

 passing through a phase of decadence incident to the exploitation of 

 new land, has obtained a secure footing in the contrary direction 

 toward improvement. 



Comparative production per acre of specified crops in the United States. 



[100=mean for 1896-1905.] 



Percentage of increase (+) or decrease ( — ) of yield per acre in the United States. 



Crops. 



Com 



Wheat 



Oats 



Barley 



Rye 



Buckwheat 



Hay 



Potatoes. . . 



Cotton 



Tobacco 



1896-1905 



to 

 1906-1909. 



+ 

 + 



7.1 

 9.6 

 6.8 

 + 1.2 

 + 6.5 

 + 6.6 

 0.0 

 + 15.5 

 + 0.3 

 + 9.7 



