American Farm Crops. 
645 
representations, that the past decade has been marked by several 
I years of drought, " which have reduced the rate of yield below the 
average of the preceding decade, a period comparatively exempt 
from dry seasons." The years of sufficient rainfall show no diminu- 
tion in the rate of yield. 
The range of crop-production is very considerable. The yield 
per acre of maize varies from 94 bushels in South Carolina to 
32-8 bushels in Nebraska. The statistician remarks in reference to 
this crop that it is worth inquiring why the average yield per 
acre for ten years is 32' 7 bushels in New Hampshire, which pos- 
sesses a granitic soil, which is so far removed in fertility from the 
ideal maize-bearing alluvium, and only 27"7 bushels in Illinois, 
which is endowed with extraordinary fertility. Again, with regard 
to wheat, the yield per acre is as low as 5-7 bushels in South Caro- 
lina and Mississippi, and rises to 19 ••5 bushels in Colorado. In Great 
Britain, it may be observed, the estimated ordinary average yield of 
wheat is 2S"80 bushels per acre, and the range is from li"22 in 
Anglesey, to 36-71 in the county of Edinburgh. 
From the point of view of the British farmer, the most interest- 
ing crop in the United States is that of wheat, because it is practi- 
cally the only one which comes into direct competition with his own 
produce. In view of the quantities of wheat and wheat-flour — 
averaging some two million tons per annum — which the American 
farmers have been sending to this country during the past decade, 
it is of interest to observe what they have themselves been obtain- 
Average 
Average 
lAverage Average 
yield per 
! valne 
per 
yield pel 
, value 
per 
acre 
acre 
acre 
1 acre 
bnsheU 
£ s. 
d. 
bushels 
£ 1. 
d. 
Maine 
13-6 
3 12 
7 
Indiana .... 
131 
1 2 7 
4 
New Hampshire 
14-4 
3 16 
0 
Illinois .... 
13-4 
: 2 7 
2 
Vermont .... 
16-9 
4 2 
3 
Wisconsin . . . 
120 
)2 1 
9 
Massachusetts . . 
16-3 
4 6 
5 
Minnesota . . . 
12-5 
' 1 18 
9 
Connecticat . . . 
16-6 
3 19 
9 
Iowa 
10-6 
1 11 
6 
New York . . . 
147 
3 2 
7 
Missouri .... 
11-7 
1 18 
5 
New Jersey . . . 
12-9 
2 16 
7 
Kansas .... 
13-9 
1 19 
2 
Pennsj-lvania . . 
12-6 
2 12 
9 
Nebraska . . . 
111 
1 8 
7 
Delaware .... 
11-6 
2 8 
9 : 
CaUfomia . . . 
12-5 
2 3 
1 
Maryland .... 
12-2 
2 10 
5i 
Oregon .... 
16-3 
2 10 
1 
Virginia .... 
N. Carolina . . . 
8-2 
1 13 
Nevada .... 
17-6 
3 6 
6 
60 
1 6 
7 
Colorado . . . 
19-5 
3 7 
7 
S. Carolina . . . 
5-7 
1 8 
0 
Arizona .... 
13-8 
2 13 
0 
Georgia .... 
60 
1 9 
2 
Dakota .... 
11-9 
1 11 
4 
Alabama .... 
60 
1 7 
Idaho 
17-1 
2 19 
0 
Mississippi . . . 
5-7 
1 6 
Montana . . . 
17-6 
3 0 
4 
Texas 
100 
1 19 
New Mexico . . 
13-6 
2 13 
10 
Arkansas . . . . ' 
7-5 
1 10 
Utah 
17-2 
2 12 
11 
Tennessee ... 
6-7 
1 4 
? 
Washington . . 
170 
2 10 
8 
West Virginia . . 
10-2 
2 0 
Wyoming . . . 
180 
3 1 
11 
Kentucky ... 
Ohio 
Michigan .... 
9-4 
13-6 
15-2 
1 14 
3 
2 11 
2 15 
9 
10 
Average . . 
120 
2 1 
9 
