The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-09
fTHE PROSPECT FOR CROPS.
Secretary Heron Regards the Outlook for
Staple Products as Unusually Favorable.

II think it would be q good thing for the
farmers and for the business of the country If
the wheat crop should be failure this year, /"
remarked Alex. Heron, secretary of the State
Board of Agriculture to Journal reporter. yes
terday during conversation which had drifted
from the causes and results of the prevailing
financial depression to the present prospects of
crops.
"Whyi"
Because there is too much wheat, both in the
market and in the ground. If there should be
full crop of wheat this year, with the present
large surplus that is on hands, the price would
drop TO 70 cents bushel at most; but ii the
crop is failure the price will advance and yet
there will be an ample supply. 1t may hurt
some branches of business, but the general effect
would be good, because there will be large
yield Of other staple products Our
farmers have been raising too much
wheat and not enough other products. 1t is inn
poverishng the land and is proving Improbable
to the producers. The Genesee valley, in New
York. used 10 be famous for its production OF
wheat, and the annual yields were enormous.
The farmers, however, after continuous cuiti-
walton of the crop for several years ruined their
land. and the Genesee valley IS now about as
Improbable farm land as can be found anywhere
in the country The Western farmers
are making the same mistake We want more
corn than wheat. because it can be put to more
various and more profitable uses, and we want
more grass. The prospects for an enormous
yield OF corn were never better in Indiana than
they are now. 1t seems that every grain that
was planted has sprouted and Is growing. ihere
now fully four million acres OF corn In In
diana, and If there should be an average crop,
the yield will be about los, O00, 600 bushels.
which is pretty big pile of corn. 1t the
wheat crop should be a failure. the consequent
advance of price, with the large yield OF corn,
would leave the farmers and the country in bet
ter condition than if there should be large crop
of wheat, with low prices. and poor yield OF
corn. The markets show that now the price OF
wheat is going down. and the price of meats GO
ing up. Therefore, what we really need is more
corn, with more hogs, and more grass. with more
beef. There has never been better
growth of grass in Indiana than
there is now, and the hay crop can
not now very well be a failure. We have already
had rain enough to saturate the ground snf-
| fcienty to prevent any serious damage to the
growing grass within the next three weeks, and
| it will then be time to harvestit. Our farmers
are slow to learn, however that there Is nothing
more profitable for them than stoek-ralslng'
| The grass crops enrich their land, while wheat
lmpoverishes it. There is not enough beef. and
there is too much wheat In consequence, the
scale of prices shows q balance on the beef
Stock until it is to his interest to raise wheat.
Corn first, grass second. and wheat third, should
be the order of the crops"
"And what fourtha'
Potatoes. Everybody eats potatoes, and
there are very few households and hotels
where you don't finG potatoes on the table three
| times a day. 1t is one of the most important OF
| the staple products. The potato crop this year
is satisfactory-it will be quite large. The bugs
doing some damage, but it is very easy TO dis
pose of them with little Paris green and there is
! no reason why the crop should be allowed to suf
| fer from them. The yield of corn, grass and po-
tatoes will be large. with the prospect that the
| prices will also he good. The wheat crop prom
Uses to be failure, and the prices will advance.
The supply is ample, and l can't see that any
body is going to suffer in consequence. Alto
gether, think it is an unusually good year, and
that the prosperity of the country will be ma
terially advanced"