Ottumwa weekly courier., 1876-07-26
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President of Committee
About Crops A More Cheerful
View.


View.
EDITORS COURIER Having closely
observed the resources and the crops
of this season. and heard so many un-
favorable comments on the present
outlook, l thought perhaps it would
not be amiss to write an article for
the benefit of those who are actually
interested, and tell what one, who is n
constant traveller, has seen. We all
know there is dullness in trade, and
a stringency i'm financial matters, and
a want of confidence, but il certainly
cannot arise from the want of n good
prospect for crop, and good crop.
In fact, unless something arises now
unknown to the farming community,
we will have as large crop as we
have had for years. Early in May
heard a great deal of complaint that
there was nothing in the country to
be sold to bring money into circula-
ton, and in travelling over the coun-
try thought l would see what there
,pas to be sold. found that there was
about four hogs to every l6O acres ol
land in the counties ] have travelled
| in, which would amount to abou
5000 hogs in our own county alone
and which were sold in June for tn,
snug sum of about $lO0, ,O0O-say moth
ing of the other products of the coun
try.
We will now take leave of that sub
iect and take look at the growing
crops. OF course we will first look a
the corn crop, for after all, that is ou
chief reliance. The most of the corr
was planted late, and we thought tina
would be heavily against it, but it ha
not, as / will show, for by close cx
animation ii is fully up to the aver
age. In order that l could get a cor
rect idea. would every afternool
count fifty pieces of corn, and woul'
, only count those pieces laying along
side the road. l would grade it: tn
first No. l, the second what consid
cred likely to make a half crop, Nc
2, and what counted worthless, NJ
3. The worst showing was from Ct
dar Creek, north to Springdalc, righ
through the neighborhood wher
!. John Ackcrman raises his sanerkrau
: and it showed 33 for No. /, III ha
1 crops, and 6 worthless. Thus you Sc
4 by the lowest count, we will thel
have about four-fifths of a crop. tt
best count made was in the westel
part of Keokuk county, which W;
forty-five good pieces out of fift
Now, when l say good corn, l mes
as good as it was any previous yea
within my knowledge at this time I
the year.
nj am free to admit that the whe
crop is anything but flattering, b
;. still what wheat there is,will be mu
I. better in the grain than last year, Al
q the farmer that raises ten acres
wheat this year will have more Al
better -four this year than he h'
v from the same quantity Of land Ia
1t year. A great many Of our farm
friends have not noticed this, s,that tn
have nearly twice the amount
D, hay oil of the acre than ever "
~ known here, and what they loose
a the wheat crop they win more tn
make mp on the hay crop. The ave
arc amount Of wheat sown by I
ID farmers is 10 acres, and the avera
va Weld is 10 bushels to the acre a
;, the average amount o: hay raised
- the farmers last year was one ton
III the acre, and this year two tons to
a. acre, thus you see they lose this u
nj $50 on wheat and they make abe
$75 on the hay, and the expenses