The sun., 1892-10-02
Probable Product of Corn and Oats


Holy City are likely to remain unvisited.
Probable Product of Corn and Oats.
In value Of product. in multiplicity Of
uses. in the traffic furnished railways. and
in its contributions to the commerce Of tho
nation. by far the most important product
OF American fields is the maize crop. that
grown in 1891 exceeding In value. by many
million dollars. the combined value Of the
cotton and wheat crops.
From such data as exists it appears that
during the last twelve years the United
States have produced some co. 900 900
bushels Of corn, being a fraction over 80
bushels per capita per annum. Of which
about one-thirtieth has been exported.
leaving 1913 bushels per capita per an
mum for domestic consumption, and. at an
average yield Of 24.l bushels per acre. the
present population-65.5 500. .OOO-requires the
product OF lsome 7s.2oo.c00 acres. while the
area now planted Is reported to be about
1856. 900. and is some 6sl4000 acres below
the estimated requirements.
During the eighth decade the domestic
consumption Of oats appears to have been
at the rate OF rs bushels per capita per
annum, increasing to 1915 bushels in the
ninth decade the increase being. probably.
almost wholly due to the increase In the
number Of horses kept in the towns and
cities.
With this increase in the annual per capita
rate Of consumption the requirements now
equal. at an average yield Of 26l bushels
per acre. the product OF .4O6 Of an acre per
capita and necessitating the employment Of
26.59O.OOO acres. while but 25.s5o.OOO have
been sown. or some 1.24O.0O0 less than tho
estimated requirements.
The requirements for corn and oats are
equal to 39.7 bushels per capita per annum.
and such quota. with average yields per
acre. requires the employment annually Of
1.6lA acres for each unit OF the population.
the present aggregate requirements being
los. 10000 acres. while the corn and oat
crops Of this year are reported as covering
an area OF but 9s.236.00O acres. being per
cent. below normal requirements, and It
behooves the public to know II the crops Of
corn and oats. matured and maturing. are
likely to produce so much in excess Of
average yields as to compensate. In whole
or In part. for the lacking acreage. and in
order to furnish the needed information
in the most reliable form THE SUN has In
stituted special inquiries through a wide
correspondence with producers. dealers. and
State officials, IA we'll as by personal sur
yeys by It's experts. and finds the crop situ-
alton to be this:
The spring was unusually cold wet, and
backward over vety wide areas. and oat
sowing was delayed from two to six weeks
H. 10 ivo ko
being that although the plant made rapid
progress it never recovered the time lost.
and the grain-producing period was pro-
jected into the hottest part OF the summer.
when atmospheric conditions were at the
worst for the proper development OF the
grain. which has proved to be deficient
both in quantity and weight. although
there was straw enough for nearly or quite
an average crop.
The outturn. In measured bushels, In the
central and Western States. where the ma
jor part OF the crop ls grown, Is much less
than 10 per cent. OF an average. and the
grain weighs from 40 to 20 pounds only to
the measured bushel. tho average not ex-
cecding "a pounds probably. or rs per cent.
OF the standard. II the yield for the repub-
lie. as seems altogether probable. does not
exceed 10 per cent. gf the average In meas
ured bushels. the product will be nOminaily
| 5OOOOOOoO bushels: and assuming that the
average weight will reach an improbable 20
| pounds. or 81 per cent. OF the standard.
there will 10 about 4iO.0O0.OOO bushels by
weight. but Of less than the ordinary feed
ing value OF such weight OF grain. as the
proportion OF hull will be far In excess OF
the ordinary.
II this view Of the oat crop Is correct, the
production In weight will be less than do
nestle requirements by some 255,OOO. 900
bushels. That such estimate is sufficiently
liberal is assured by the fact that the CEN
tral and Western States. which produce
about 60 per cent Of the entire crop and
furnish the commercial supply--much the
greater part Tor 90 p1r cent, Of which comes