December, 1931] Dairy Farming in Grafton County 



11 



ily recognizable extent. For the crop year covered by this study, the 

 growing season was from May 23 at both stations to September 19 in 

 one case and September 20 in the other. This was shorter for both sta- 

 tions than the average for either. Doubtless the fluctuations in length 

 of growing season also contribute to considerable difficulty in growing 

 crops which require nearly the maximum period of time for reasonable 

 development. Again, the variations due to local topography as it 

 affects air drainage and frost pockets as well as the immediate influ- 

 ence of water in facilitating the formation of fog or in affording other 

 frost-preventing influences are hardly measured by these 

 averages. 



general 



A scene in the Connecticut River Valley looking north toward the village of Woodsville. 



(Courtesy of the State Department of Agriculture, Concord, N. H.) 



GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS 



During the period, 1914 to 1931, some of the most violent price fluct- 

 uations in history have taken place. Compared to the 1910-1914 aver- 

 age as 100, wholesale prices of commodities rose to 225 for the year 

 1920 and fell to 142 in 1921. United States farm prices for farm prod- 

 ucts dropped from 205 to 116 in the same years.'^ Wholesale prices con- 

 tinued between 140 and 150 for the most part until 1929, while farm 

 prices fluctuated from 116 to 147. In June, 1931, the index of the 

 wholesale prices was 102. The index for farm prices of farm products 

 stood at 80 for the same month. 



In other words, the farmers of the United States were getting 80 

 cents in June, 1931, for the same quantity of commodities they sold for 

 $1.00 in 1910-1914, and for $2.05 in 1920. Agricultural products in the 

 United States sold at the farm for 20 per cent below pre-war prices in 

 June, 1931, while the farmer paid 30 per cent above pre-war prices for 

 the commodities he must use in living and producing. 



