The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-11-20
BUSINESS.
Some Facts and Figures for Pessi"
mists and Croakers to Read
and Digest.
Dr.. salmon's Report on Contagious Cattle
Diseases-A Great Corn Crop
Don't Get Left, but Cheer
Up and Brace Up.
The Cotton CrOD.

The Cotton Crop.
The November returns Of cotton to the
Department of Agriculture, Mt Washington,
relate to the yield per acre, and show the
effects of the long continued drought in re-
ducing production The lateness of killing
frosts has less effect than usual in curtail-
ing the WELD rs the vitality of plants was
too nearly exhausted to produce q top crop.
The drought had not been broken at some
points on the Gulf coast Mt the date Of re-
turns. The indicated yield per acre is
lower i'll nearly every State than
in the census year, which was one
of average production. The low
est yields are now. rs then, in Florida,
Georgia, Alabama. and Texas The reduc-
ton this year is very marked in Louisiana
and Arkansas, in the region Of the most
productive cotton lands. Returns by States
indicate the yield per acre as follows. the
figures being subject to modification by full
CT returns: Virginia, $50 pounds; North
Carolina. It's: South Carolina, 152: Geor-
gin, l35; Florida, 105; Alabama. 100; Mis-
sissippi, l75: Louisiana, 100; Texas, 143;
Arkansas, 300; Tennessee, 160. The indi-
cations point to crop somewhat larger
than in 1883, gathered in unusually fine
condition, Of good color, unstained by
storms, and free from trash and dirt.
\ Great Corn Crop.
The November returns to the Depart
ment Agriculture, Of the rate of yield of
corn indicate a product somewhat in excess
of !, 800 000. 900 bushels. on an average
rate IA small fraction above twenty six bush
els per acre. The best Yields are. as in
1883, in what has been designated the great
American desert. The "arid regions in
the vicinity Of the Tooth meridian have pro-
duced heavy crops of maize Of high quality.
That line Of longitude has ceased to be an
absolute barrier to corn production or gen.
eral farming. The quality of corn is better
than in 1883 nearly everywhere, and in the
Northern belt it is worth Is to Is per cent
more. The potato crop is nearly an average
yield, or ninety bushels per acre, and ex-
ceeds o,ooo, oc0 bushels.
Contagious Cattle Discases-Dr. salmon's
Report.
DIR. ID. Z. Salmon. Chief Of the Bureau
of Animal Industry, has submitted to the
Commissioner Of Agriculture voluminous
| report upon the contagious diseases of ami
mails, the report being the result of expert
! ments and Investigations made by the veter-
mary division. Considerable space is given
to the detailed history Of the recent out
break among cattle in Kansas. and to
description of its symptoms DIR.
Salmon reaches the conclusion that
the disease was ergotism, due TO eating
the fungus known as ergot. Upon the treat
ment and prevention of this disorder he
says When the first signs of this disorder
appear the most important point to be at
tended to is to make q complete change of
| food and to see that it is of good quality,
nutritious, and free from ergot. 1t would
also be proper to give dose of physic, in
order to remove as much as possible the
poison still contained in the digestive organs,
| and to follow this with soft food. In the
most severe eases-those in which part
| of the limb is already lifeless-treat
ment will avail but little. The
| greater number Of eases, however, have not
| advanced to this stage when lameness is
| first noticed, and these will be greatly ben
| Gifted by removing the cause and placing
| the animal under conditions favorable fol-
resisting poison. Another condition be-
| lieved by some to have much influence on
| the development of ergotism is the water
supply. With plenty of water always al
hand it is believed larger quantities Of ergo,
may be taken for longer time than when
the water supply is deficient.