Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-08-21
THE CROP FAILURE.
Three Hitherto Greatest and Richest
River Valleys in America Burned
J'p With DTOuth.

Cor. Country Gentleman, Albany
n. Y, Aug. IA, from Sedgwlck Co.
Kansas: The Ohio, Mississippi anC
Missouri valleys are and have been
for weeks the scene of the most des.
tructive droUth known in genera.
ton, resulting in so shortening the
crops OF corn and oats that the yield
per acre, is likely to be the lowest on
record in the seven states known as
the "surplus corn states" During
the last three weeks, more especially
in the Missouri valley, there have
been many light local showers, but
they have, in most cases, been too
light and covered too limited areas
to go far in mitigation of the destruc-
tive effects of the prevailing climatic
conditions.
In Kansas the havoc wrought has
been so great that the state will not
produce one bushel of corn where
four were grown last year, and but
for the reserves from last years
crop the state would nt ed to import
corn to feed the working stock. In
consequence of this failure hun
dreds of thousands of immature
swine has been marketed by the
farmers Of Kansas, and the end is
not yet, although many districts
have been swept clean of swine in
condition to find purchaser, and
young pigs are being killed or given
away. The markets Of Kansas City
and Wichita have, for twenty days,
been flooded with these immature
swine, and the result wilt be a great
shortage In the hog crops of l891-92
and high prices for all meats.
The pastures are burnt up, the
wells and creeks dry and the owners
of cattle are securing the country
hunting water and feed for their
herds, while many farmers are rush
ing their cattle on the market when
in such condition as to be unfit for
butchers use. The pastures have 50
long been in such a deplorable con-
dition, and the supply of water so
scanty, in many cases, that the cat
tie are in but little if any better con-
dition than when turned upon the
pastures, although there are cases
where the pastures have, for three
weeks, been supplemented by corn
fodder or straw stacks which the
hungry kline seem to take to with as
much avidity as in winter.
In all this region we depend al
most Wholly upon the native prai-
rie grasses for hay, which is usually
cut in July and August. Thus far
| have not seen piece of prairie
hay being cut or any worth cutting,
while the small area sown to millet
is but little better, and hay, useless,
grown after autumn rains, will be
an exceedingly scarce commodity,
and the stock must be. carried
through on straw and corn fodder
This is the situation in this and the
countries, and appears to
be the case in nine out of every ten
counties in the state, and to u great
extent in Arkansas, Texas, Missouri,
Nebraska and Western Iowa. The
wires tell us that in parts of Illinois,
Indiana and even Ohio the recently
hay is being fed to the cat,
tie. Fortunately Kansas harvested
a fair-not full-crop of wheat which
is likely to bring tair price, and a
high price to such as are able to
hold for eight or nine months as the
crops of Europe are by no means
full, ms shown by the general
resume Of European crop data to
July Is,