Big Falling Off In Wheat Acreage In County

BIG FALLING OFF IN WHEAT ACREAGE IN COUNTY

In 1897 Washtenaw county raised more wheat than any other county in Michigan. By 1900 it had dropped to 25th place and the following year was in the 21st place. The acreage planted has gradually decreased. In 1897 there were 54,143 acres planted to wheat in this county and in 1901 only 37,669 acres, while in May 1902, there were only 28,791 acres of wheat.

But the falling off in the number of bushels harvested has been even more marked. In 1897 Washtenaw had a yield of 1,197,018 bushels of wheat and In 1901, 257,333 bushels. The yield for the five years was as follows:
1897 | 1,197,018
1898 | 1,296,757
1899 | 625,626
1900 | 250,394
1901 | 257,333

The average yield per acre which was a little over 22 bushels in 1897, was a little less than 7 bushels in 1901.

The largest acreage of wheat in 1901 was Freedom, which had 2,935 acres of wheat, but in that township the smallest average yield, four bushels to the acre, was reported. The township to raise the most wheat in 1901 was Pittsfield, 23,255 bushels. The smallest yield was in Lyndon, 4,574 bushels. The acreage and number of bushels raised in 1901 was as follows:

[Location] | Acres. | Bushels.
Ann Arbor | 1,706 | 8,478
Augusta | 1,028 | 13,286
Bridgewater | 2,542 | 14,140
Dexter | 1,103 | 5,683
Freedom | 2,935 | 12,082
Lima | 2,589 | 19,224
Lodi | 2,409 | 16,886
Lyndon | 1,166 | 4,574
Manchester | 1,723 | 9,754
Northfield | 2,181 | 12,858
Pittsfield | 2,421 | 23,258
Salem | 1,082 | 6,084
Saline | 2,260 | 22,587
Scio | 2,270 | 12,614
Sharon | 2,455 | 13,618
Superior | 1,461 | 12,971
Sylvan | 1,330 | 9,312
Webster | 2,422 | 15,728
York | 1,443 | 12,553
Ypsilanti | 1,137 | 12,246