Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-08-16
RraE interests,
CROPS BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI.
Grave Disasters Resulting from Con.
tinued Drouth--- Corn Comparative
ly a Failure Higher Prices
Drawing Near--.Lessons of
the Season.
G. Wood Davis in Country Gentleman.

c. Wood Davis in Country Gentleman.
The fierce drouth which has pre-
vailed in the trans>mississippi region
since early in May has resulted in a
grave disaster to all growing crops.
Fruits of all kinds have been de-
stroyed. Vegetables are not to be
had in many localities, and the COM
plete failure of the potato crop is an
ever present privation on most farms,
even the mulched potatoes falling for
the first time in sixteen years.
Wheat has been harvested in shape,
the grain-as rule-plump and
bright, but the thresher tells woeful
and disappointing tale Of the havoc
wrought by frost, 'drouth and insects
in yield far below expectations, the
out-turn being not more than two.
thirds what has been confidently ex-
pected. This is true of the wheat
crop of Kansas not only, but of Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Texas as well,
and yet the necessities of the
maiorities of the farmers are
such that it is being hurried to mar,
ket at prices which are but half what
it is likely to sell for before another
crop can be garnered.
The oat crop in the same States as
we'll as in Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, is an
extraordinarily short one-certainly
not over 60 per cent, and probably
not over so per cent of the great crop
of 1889, and the product of this cereal
in the United States is likely to be
anywhere from SO to 45 per cent be-
low an average. A reduction of one
third will amount to 25O,0O0,0O0 bu.,
and will have the effect of advancing
prices as to add greatly to the revenue
of such farmers as are fortunate
enough to harvest a good crop of this
grain.
The disaster to the corn crop of the
trans-Mississippi States is even great
er than that which befell oats OF
wheat. For instance, the corn crop
of Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, are
by men who have recently Travelled
over those States, represented as be-
ing in worse condition than the corr
in Kansas, and yet this hardly seems
possible, as the corn in Kan
sas, should it rain from now unit
Christmas, would not make one-thir(
of an average crop. Indeed, TIT
drouth, hot winds and intense hea
of the past week have literally cook
ed the growing corn on millions o
acres, and it is doubtful if Kansas will
this year grow more than enough corr
to feed the work animals, and if tn
States named are as represented, il
worse shape than Kansas, then the,
are in a sorry plight indeed. Hat
fairly sufficient rains come weel
since, this State would possibly hav
grown half a crop, but now in thi
part Of the State at least, there will
not be one-tenth of an average GRO
except on such very limited areas a
caught the light showers of ten day
since. In this and the adjoinin
counties there are hundreds of thou
sands of acres which will not produC
as much corn as was used for seeC
and farmers who have no old corn G
no more than will feed thei
teams, are rushing their swine of a
ages upon the market.
To show what is the tensity of tn
situation, would state that a graf
buyer, the agent for St.Louis hous,
yesterday came fortyesix miles upo
the bare chance of buying a lot I
corn we were reported to have #
sale. Heretofore the buyers have Il
the sellers do the travelling and hun
ing during all the time this countr
has been settled. This buyer inform
ed me that "he had just been ovt
large areas in Missouri, Arkansas an
Texas as well as in Kansas, and thu
the corn is in better shape in tn
part of Kansas than in any sectio
visited, and here nine-tenths of it
ruined beyond recovery"
From all can learn of the cond
ton of the crop in the surplus COZ
States, the crop of the whole countr
cannot possibly exceed three-fourtl
ofan average yield, or say 100000
600 bushels as against 2,1OO,OOO,OOO i
1889, and it is not improbable that
will be reduced to two>thirds the pr
duct of last year; in which event IL
cVtnrlNy IF