The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-01-09
PRODUCTS OF IOWA.
WHATXAS BEEN, AND WHAT
MIGHT BE DONE.

EDs. PRAIRIE FARMER Tho ag
ricultural productive season has beer
so long over that the husbandman has
had ample time to gather his crops
and the weather has never been more
favorable for so doing in the Northwes,
especially for the late crops. There
can be no excuse for the farmer if he
has not Gathered and secured them in
such manner as to have plenty for
his stock. Owing to unfavorable wealth.
er after harvest, much Of the wheat put
in stacks is reported to be injured,
probably to the extent, throughout this
State, Of at least five per cent. This
together with rather an inferior article
Of berry, will compel us to place the
average Yield per acre for 1861, Of good
merchantable wheat, at twelve bushels
As the number Of acres pnt into wheat
this year over that of 1860, is pretty
well asccrtaincd to be one fourth more,
which will give us the breadth sown
for 1861, $4,000 acres, yelling at
twelve bushels to the acre, little up
wards Of $4,000, 900 bushels. Ny csti-
mate before harvest was 23,O00,00o
bushels. As the average price for the
whole crop will not in all probability
exceed, 40 cents per bushel, and the
known cost Of production per acre is at
least seven dollars, the actual loss, after
dcducting the cost Of production, is
over two dollars per acre, or about g.
OOO,OO of dollars for the whole State.
No wonder the farmer, whose main
crop is wheat. thinks that farming don',
l\W, Beyond a small amount to meet
os N.ngencies, the farmers Of the North
Western States, as general thing can
not afford to raise wheat except for
home consumption.
But, thanks 70 onr rich fol ana con
genial climate, the wheat crop, vast rs
i, is in the aggregate FOR comparatively
such new State may entirely be set
aside, and we viii have in our beef and
pork this year, as we have had in the
past, sufficient to redeem us from the
supposi,ion that farming in the West
does not pay. The same farmers who
produced 100000 bushels of wheat
have cultivated ,497 ,632 acres ofcorn,
yielding on an average at least 35 bush
els per acre, making in the aggregate
52,427, ,12O bushels. This is less by 10
bushels per acre than the yield Of 1860. |
This corn will fatten and prepare for
market at least $S,0oo,Oo0 worth Of
beef and pork, even at the present low
prices. The wheat and beef and pork
mentioned are all beyond what is need
ed for home consumption, as we had in
the snmmcr over 1S,OOO,o0o bushels
ofcorn and nearly 5000 900 bushels of
wheat on hand of the crop Of 1850, and
will yield lis between this and seeding
time next year the snug sum Of sl5,-
100000, besides a handsome sum on
many other articles snch as wool cheese.
butter, de-, which will increase the
amount to sl6,oo0,oo0 as the profits on
farming for 1861, Notwithstanding the
serious drawback on the cost Of produc-
ton Of the wheat item,) giving an av-
erage Of s16o to every owner Of farm
in the State. This is what Iowa has
done to feed the hungry OF tho world,
besides furnishing 10000 of her best
and most robust sons to swell The ranks
Of the loyal army ofthe Union.
But this is not all we have done as q
State. We have saved, by the produce
ton Of Sorghum and Imphce, in sirup
and sugar, upwards Of l 200, 900 dollars.
Such has been our successes in these
items that we shall doubtless within a
for all home uses and some for export
atien, and perhaps one fourth Of all our
consumption Of sugar. Much of the
sirup made this year is fully equal to
the best refined sirup made from the
Southern cane.
Then Of fruits: So abundant has
been the supply Of apples this year tha,
in the Eastern part of the State
where a year or two since they were
sold for about dollar q bushel, the,
have been sold as low as 30 cents, and
for winter use, we'll picked, at from 4C
to so cents. Then we are fast bccom
ing . grape and wine producing State
Several counties, this year made from
1000 to 10000 gallons Of the pure iuicc