Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-06-29
For the Journal

tsAA Uonclusion'' Considered.
Nh. EDrroR 81 noticed in your paper
Of Friday Last q connunication from per.
son signing himself II Know More" in
which he arrives at some very sxtsavagsnt
and absurd "oonclusions" Ia regard to the
condition OF the growing crops in the forks
Of the Iowsand Cedar rivers. He pays this
place handsome and deserved compliment
for its beauty and fertility and justly styles
it the "Gsrdsn spot Of Iowa." In this he
il not mistaken, for when good crops can
bs raised in any portion Of the West they
can be raised here, and I believe the pros
poets of grain are better here than in any
other part Of the country.
But your correspondent is certainly mis-
taken - to the prospects Of big crop. He
places the yield Of wheat ct twenty-five
bushels to the acre on an average, which 10
greater than has been raised to my knowl
edge the best and most favorable seasons
for several years. 1t would exceed the great
crop Of ~ by at least eight bushels to the
aore. And it is we'll known to every man
capable Of reasoning that this has been a
very unfavorable season for small grains.--
It has been very dry ever since wheat was
sown and great deal Of it never sprouted.
It has not stooled or branched out a. much
a. it has other seasons, thus diminishing
the yield in my opinion at least ons-third if
not one-half. Wheat stands thin on the
ground; in some cases it is very weeay, and
l cannot tell where it il that he can find
wheat that will yield to the amount of his
figures. should like to have the gentleman
visit ~ in "harvest time" draw off bis kids
and bind wheat for few days behind our
respers, and imagine the next article he
would write would be headed "A Conc!u-
sion re. considered" and be satisfied to divide
Lis twenty-five by two and find twelve aud
half bushels q the average. Twenty. five
bushels to the acre! why, my friend, that
is great yield, greater than you will hear
of this season in Musoatine OF Louisa coun.
ties if not in the whole State Of Iowa.
But he can see still further into the dim
future and pronounce the yield of corn to
be seventy. five bushels to the acre. l hope
it will be 50, but corn at the present time is
most too green q subjsct to base such NAM
moth "corn conclusions" on. If he will
insure the farmers about here the two
thirds Of that 70 the acre, believe they
will be willing to give him all there is
over it. @
tell you that the farmers Of Iowa have
not as good prospects Of large crop as you
would like to make the grain speculstors OF
the East believe they have, Is you will
assuredly discover before the harvest OF 81.
We are not going to haul you some hundred
and twenty-five thousond bushels of grain" in
the next year no such thing. You need
tickle the ears and pockets Of tlfe Mus
catine merchants and produce buyers with
no such straw as that. 1t will all prove
illusory. The sensation of pleasure will last
but for moment ''You cannot get blood
from turnlp" nor can you get that amount
of grain from the forks Of the Cedar and
Iowa rivers, for it is not and will not be
here. l intend no dispar agement to this
beautiful and fertile land. 1t is my home
and hope it always may be. It is here that
all my interests are-where every tie which
binds me to Iowa is centered, where my
hopes and prospects for the future lie. But
when such communications appear in your
paper must take up my pen and correct all
such CONCLUSIONS" not liking to have false
impressions get abroad concerning our crops.
Instead of doing US service, as your cores
pondent imsgines he was, he has injured
US. He has sent forth to the world an
incorrect report, or conclusion" rather, that
will be copied into St. Louis, Chicago and
eastern papers under glazing capitals, an
nouncing the greatest crop that has ever
been raised west Of the ssFather of Waters. f."
And the consequences will be that imme.
diately after harvest wheat will be bought
in Muscatine for song, that farmers that
are compelled to sell their wheat to raise
some money will realize nothing for it or
not enough to pay expenses when, if
gentlemen who visit the country to see the
crops, would give true and correct ICON.
CUSTOM" the farmers would get salts
factory price fot their wheat and soon be
out OF the s'm;re ard clay" Of debt. Hard
times would then become an institution OF the
past, and peace and plenty Of the future.
| Mr.. II Know More" did you ever see
wheat field before? Do you know how
we prepare wheat for market? Perhaps
you think We sell straw and all as it stand.
in the field; if You do, probably we can fill
your measure, but not in any other way
l am thinking your eyes were collapsed, ,ha,
reason lost its sway, that you were half
demented or that you wore pair of magni
tying glasses that made heads Of wheat look
like large ears OF corn to your Imagination
fa field of wheat looked green you pro.
noanced it good, even if it was half weeds
We're you really in field of wheat while
you were passing through this community?
Did you examine single head Of wheat to
see how it was filing, Or did you form year
opinion as you were travelling behind
s'two.for,y horse ?" Most probably the
latter, q, that is the way all the "fuss and
feathers" about big crops generally get into
the public prints, written BY men that
cannot tell the difference between a field
Of wheat and patch of "puss tail" But
your magnifying glasses viewed something
else besides the crops. You saw the quiet
little village of Oakland and passing through
ito street at lightning speed You made it
city of cover four hundred inhabitants"
whom it contains not over ten houses
Forty inhabitants to the house! that does