No. 123.] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER. 11 



years, due to the absence of fall frosts. There were 150 acres 

 of sweet corn for canning; and the acreage of corn for sale green 

 is estimated at about 4^900 acres. 



The acreage of hay apparently is decreasing slowly with the 

 decrease in numl)er of horses; and although the main hay crop 

 was rather light, the rowen crop came on well under the gener- 

 ous rains and made the total production fully up to normal. 



Oats as a grain crop have shown some gain in the west end 

 of the State, as is the case rather generally over New England. 

 There were about 15,000 acres as against 12,000 last year, but 

 the yield was less; however, the production during each year 

 was about 500,000 bushels. • ^ 



The onion acreage was 4,250 as compared with 4,600 last 

 year; average yield was 340 bushels as compared with 475 last 

 .year. Hot, dry weather at the end of July, followed by thrips, 

 cut down the crop seriously. 



Soy beans in mixture with silage corn had an acreage of 

 1,464 as compared with 1,100 last year. This crop seems to be 

 gaining in popularity. 



Under the war stimulus spring wheat reached about 2,400 

 acres last year, but fell back to 1,300 this year. It has been 

 found poor farm economy to try to grow this crop extensively 

 because of so many adverse conditions. Winter wheat is of 

 small importance, there being about 450 acres last year and 

 about 600 this year. Much of it is for hens and is not threshed. 



There were some 10,000 acres of tobacco both in 191S and 

 1919; the avera.ge yield last year was 1,500 pounds with a pro- 

 duction of 15,000,000 pounds as compared with an average 

 yield this year of 1,540 pounds and a production of 15,400,000. 

 There was little hail damage to the crop this season, practically 

 all being in Whately, Hatfield and Deerfield. The crop was of 

 fine quality, but excessive moisture during the curing season 

 caused a small amount of pole sweat. 



The potato acreage was 33,000 acres as against 34,000 last 

 year. The growing season had been only fairly favorable; and 

 at the end of August late blight spread rapidly over the State, 

 followed by weeks of hot, wet weather, which caused very 

 heavy rot to develop, so that about 40 per cent of the crop was 

 lost either before or after digging. The larger part of the crop 



