352 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



been a considerable acreage of timbered lands in the State put into culti- 

 vation, and in the southeast part of the State a large acreage of swamp 

 lands has been drained and is now in cultivation, most of it in corn. The 

 acreage for the crop of 1904, as estimated by the State Board of Agri- 

 culture was 6,646,790 acres, which is more than 14 per cent above the 

 Government estimate. Compared with the Government estimate for the 

 year 1896, however, the acreage, as estimated by the Board of Agricul- 

 ture, is only about one and one-half per cent greater, which is a very 

 small increase for the eight years. 



HAY AND FORAGE. 



The crop second in importance based on value, is hay and forage. 

 The most important hay grass is timothy. Farmers generally have grown 

 timothy mixed with red clover and the clover greatly increases the feed- 

 ing value of the hay. Under hay and forage is included timothy, red 

 top, clover, alfalfa, sorghvun when raised for forage, millet, cowpeas, etc. 

 The total acreage in hay and forage was 3,335,780 acres and the total 

 product was 5,177,650 tons, valued at $32,958,175. 



WHEAT. 



The wheat crop made an excellent showing and promised much more 

 than an average yield until a few days before harvest, when on account 

 of wet weather many fields were badily infested with rust or blight, and 

 the final yield for the State was very unsatisfactory and the quality gen- 

 erally poor, only a small per cent of the crop was good enough to grade 

 number two. The }ield in some fields would be good with good quality, 

 while in adjoining fields the ci'op would be almost ruined with the rust. 

 The average yield per acre for the 2,444,760 acres harvested was ii.i 

 bushels, which is 2.5 bushels per acre more than the average yield fur 

 1903. 



The estimated acreage seeded for the crop of 1905 is 2,383,280, which 

 is about 7 per cent less than the crop seeded the year before, but it is 

 less than 3 per cent below the acreage that was harvested in 1904. The 

 crop has suffered from drouth to the greatest extent in the southwestern 

 section. There has prol)ably never been a season when good preparation 

 of the soil showed to a greater extent than it does this year. Where the 

 land was thoroughly prepared and the wheat sown reasonably early, the 

 crop does not show much damage, although it has not made nnich top 

 growth. The average condition for the State on December ist was only 

 73, which is twelve points below the average condition one year previous. 



