Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-01-02

Corn Crop Means.
Mother Nature has been generous to
the raisers Of Indian corn this year, for
she has caused t grow and ripen a crop
such as was never seen before. Two
billions three hundred and fifty millions
of bushels will have been harvested
when the last ears are shelled. The
largest previous yield recorded, that Of
1891, was 1900, l54, 000-almost 300,-
900, 900 bushels less than is expected
this year
In 1892 the crop reached only a little
more than 1900, O00. 900 bushels; i'll
1898 it fell O little lower even than
that, and in 1894 it was almost three
times as much below 1900, 600, 900
bushels as it will this year be above
that enormous quantity.
No adequate idea of the real magni-
tude of this years crop can be obtained
from figures, nor is the mind much bet
ter informed through the calculations of
the ingenious sharp who states that if
the entire crop Were placed in half bush
eli measures, piled Il above another s 10
as to form a tall, round pillar Of corn,
ID would reach more than twice as far
into space as from the earth TO the
moon, providing that zone of the half
bushel measures was whirlei off.
If the corn were placed on a half mile
square, the pile would be about 4l9 feet
high-higher than any Of u modern
sGyscraping buildings. The total weight
of the mass would be 1876, 800, 600, 900
ponnds, or 6S, $50. 900 tons
Wouldn't it be "A remarkable sight
that enormous pile Of yellow corn? And
wouldn't it have furHi.hed a masnil,
cent text for the story that had to last
forever in order & the story teller's
head, running, "Then another locust
came and got another kernel Of corn?"
Looking AT the crop as a money pro
ducer the figures are not less stupendous
Suppose the corn To be worth 30 cents a
bushel in New York, the crop of 1895
will be worth $l,I75, 900. coo (enouSb
60 build 20 Brooklyn bridges. by The
way, with q little surplus of $4,000.
O00D, and W II put that amount Of non
ey or it's equivalent in circulation in
this country
4 little reflection viii show how bene-
fetal that viii be to everybody, The
word Everybody" il used adviEedly,
since, although the larger proportion of
the money, say 80 cents a bushel, Or
&705, Geo, 900, will go TO the farmers,
about ]two.thirds as much, or $f70,00o,
GOO, will 60 10 the railroads for trans
porting it. In other words, the farmers
viii receive the equivalent Of SO foT
every man, I'M and child in the
United States, and the railroads will
receive the equivalent OF 80. bJ for ev.
cry inhabitam making altogether 1888
for every family of five.
While the farmers and the ra lvoad
owners VIII be the greatest beneficial
ries, yet the good work of the crop will
be only begun when il has been felt by
those two classes Ii is difficult to say
where il Will STOP.
70 railroad t~rainilands, conductors,
engineers, etc, the task of moving the
corn frCrs the west to the seaboard
Iaeans continuous work for months at
good wages. Track hands, too, viii be
kept hrrsy, for heavy uafic Eecessitates
constant sulg4g a.pa Cf permanent way
Coal miners VIII feel the mage in!lu.
ence, IL rcuu les luns of coal to
m0ye bushes Of cufn Every Eechanic
employed III caTshups, locomotive shops
and raIirG&d iron rolling mills viii be
hcipod, for E.oge cdss, cug.us, and rails
VIII be required than would have been
had the crop been sUia!i
Bat not more llE;ii lsalf the work of
che corn yield OF 1855 has yet been O
sidered OF the a7O5, zoe, goo THAI will
go 70 the farmers only q very small pro-
portion will remain with them.
Farmers Will be able 10 buy clothing.
hats, shoes, wagons, slejghs, machinery,
furniture and carpets. books, pianos, BIZ
cycles, watches aud an enormous yacie-
/ " ri tine products " hnmu.i skill! and
Labor Mills and shops and factories,
wholesale, l'hbIng md retaii establish
mems tilat We're barely keeping along
last year, viii be rushing with busi.
ness, and workman and capitalist alike,
north, east. south and west. viii ell re-
eeive benefits
Does il seem unlikely 20 the reader
that the cotton belt and sugar cs.,ie re-
elon, where no corn is raised, will corsc
IN for their Share Of the good things?
4 moments reflection will bring { o
mind Che fact that when the farmers sf
! the west have plenty : rsoncy they are
much heavier colgrncrs ~ cotton and
eaRar and other southern products than
they are in other years, and SO there
! Cannot caiitah be an enhanced aanaa.
for these products during the IL months
/ beginning with the delivery ~ 1865
corn crop
Further than all this, .h!;e railroads
End the railroad men will get O second
wave, SO 70 speak, from the trsnsporta-
tion Of manufactured goods from the
east 60 the west that viii prac.!csiiy
pay for the corn, and the producers Of
ali SORTS Of crops will also receive bene.
fits from the increased demand in the
manufacturing ccnters for food products.