The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-07-14
THE CROP OUTLOOK.


Saturdays Chicago Times contained
eight or ten columns crop reports
which show the status of cereal
generally quite encouraging, with the
exception of corn, tho prospects for
which are poor, while wheat is better
than last year, but not up to the crop
of 1880, and rye. oats. potatoes, and
hay are exceptionally good.
The corn crop of the United States
in 1880 was 1857 ,535, $40 bushels,
which was Il slight reduction from
the crop of the previous year. In
1881 the crop fell to l.l94,916.000
bushels. A reduction of one.fourth
and the dispatches indicate that 1t
may be as serious rs that-would cut
it down to about 9O0, 600, 900 bushels.
But it may not be so bad us that. In
all localities the corn is very back.
ward, but in many of them 1t is
promising fairly after all, and with
fine weather will not show great
reduction from last year. Still the
fact remains that last years crop was
a large reduction from those of the
two previous years, and it is certain
that this years crop will not come
up to that of last year. The wheat
prospects are much more encourag-
ing, though they are not all that was
hoped for early in the season. There
has been a considerable reduction in
the acreage of wheat in Iowa. Wis
cOnsin, and in some parts of Mime.
sofa, but in other parts of the last
State and in Dakota and Nebraska
there have been large additions to
the area, and the same is true of some
other localities. In Iowa and Wis,
consin what wheat there is is promis-
ing well. In Wisconsin the crop will
be larger than it was last year, but in
Iowa it will not be so large,-the gain
in one State being about an offset to
the loss in the other. Last year the
wheat crop of Iowa was over iS,OO0.-
900 bushels, or about half what it was
in 1880; this year it will probably be
somewhat less than last year. In Wis
consin the wheat crop was nearly
lS,0OO,GO0 last year, IA small gain over
1880, and this year it may go up above
20, 200, 900 bushels. In Illinois the
wheat crop last year was 70 1922 900
bushels, or barely one-half what it
was the year before; this year the
indications are that the crop will eX-
coed that of last year, and may
amount to 81, zoo, 900, but Il good deal
depends on the luck the farmers have
in harvesting, for the wetness of the
ground delays the work and c0mpels
the cradle to be used instead of the
machine in many cases. Nebraska
last year produced a little less than
ii 900, 200 bushels of wheat, and this
year promises to go two or three mil
lions above that; the acreage has in
creased. and the grain is looking
well. The finest reports of wheat
come from Michigan. The crop in
81 that State two years ago was over
sc, 000, 900 bushels, and last year il
was only little over 2l,000,OUC
bushels; this year the crop promises
to he nearly or quite equal to that OF
1880. In Indiana the crop two years
ago was over IS, 200, 900 and last yeai
about 81 500, 600 bushels; this year il
will exceed the crop of last year, and
may reach nearly to the figures OF
two years ago. In Missouri corn is
in fair condition and will probably
yield more. The wheat is very
promising. The crop last year, co..
000. 900 bushels, was about two thirds
of the crop of two years ago, and the
crop this year may attain the dimen.
SlOns OF that OF 1880. In Minnesota
the crop last year was larger than
that of two years ago; this year the
crop will probably not vary greatly
from the $4,000, 900 bushels produced
in 1881. Corn in Illinois last yeal
was not much more than halft crop
of 1879, and this year it is almost
certain to be much below what it was
last year. The same is true of corn
in Iowa. Even in Indiana, where
the bad weather has had the least eff.
feet, the crop will not be quite SO
large as it was last year. In all these
States the rye. oats, potatoes, and hay
are, with very rare exceptions in
various localities, uncOmmonly
promising. In most places these
crops will be larger than ever before.
In Kansas the wheat harvest is near.
ly over, and the crop is estimated at
30,00O,0 900 bushels, or more than so
per cent. in excess of the crops of the
last two years.