Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-03
Small Crops This Year.

The Milwaukee Sentin says that
crop reports from various sections of
Wisconsin, secured by the mercan-
tile agency of r. G. Dun & Co.,
through its private correspondents,
Indicate that this state will fall con-
siderably from last years average,
though it is generally admitted that
a sufficiency Of rain will make
great difference with every product
except hay, which is practically ruined
now in great many districts. As
nearly as can be figured the reduction
In the crop of the standard products
will be about as follows: Wheat. 80
per cent; oats, 80 per cent; barley,
% per cent; rye, "a per cent; and
hay, 62 per cent. Potatoes will be an
average crop as far as any estimate
now made indicates, and peas also,
while tobacco, in those districts in
which it is grown, shows no diminu-
tion in yield.
The above facts ard conclusions are
taken from reports sent in from agents
in thirty counties within the last
week and which reports are those up
on which the agency bases its pre-
sent estimates Of the yield Letters
were sent to correspondents of the
agency asking for the conditions of
the growing crops in your county and
the probable damage, if any, to
wheat, oats, barley, rye, hay, pota-
toes, peas, tobacco, etc. by the
drought
Among the answers received, the
correspondent in Calumet county said
that farmers were already selling
cattle because of lack of feed, the
effect of which would be to make
mich COWS scarce next year. The
general conditions being the
same In number of counties it is
likely that the same course has been
followed, though the correspondents
do not say so, combining their answers
specifically to the questions asked of
them. Hay in Calumet county will
not exceed one-tenth of a crop.
Wheat, barley and oats are reported
a half crop. Two correspondents in
Fond du Lac county estimate the re
duction in crops from 25 to SO per
cent. The report from Jefferson
county is that the farmers do not
expect to exceed half crop. Lafay-
cite county reports slight damage to
oats only, while Lincoln county
thinks that wheat, oats, barley and
rye will be but little short of q full
crop, Hay will be half crop aud
potatoes and peas an average.
Manitowoc county says that hay is
the only crop which,s suffering, while
peas, which are largely grown there,
are in excellent condition Wheat
and oats will be half crop in Mar
quette county and there will not
be much barley; rye will be a
medium crop; hay, clover and
timothy will be a half crop, while
wild hay will be below that. Potatoes
and corn are good.
Damage of at least Is per cent. is
reported to the wheat and grain crops
from Portage county, the hay prac-
tically ruined, but potatoes all right
Rain, the correspondent says, will
minimize the damage. Richland re-
ports wheat loss 10 per cent, rye 10
per cent, hay 40 per cent. and peas
10 per cent. Price county reports an
average and Racine county fair
crop.
Hay will be a half crop in Rock
county, with oats, barley and rye an
average and potatoes fine. Sauk
county reports a loss of one third on
oats and hay, with potatoes good
Rain will make an improvement, but
the hay is beyond recovery.
Sheboygan county reports wheat
a one-third crop, oats good, but little
! for shipment, hay none and barley
scarce. The peas are good.
Walworth county has had good
rains recently and the fruit crop will
be an average yield, but hay will fall
off 40 per cent, rye 80 per cent,
barley and cats 10 per cent Wau-
kesha county thinks that the failure
will be from a third to half en-
| wheat, oats and hay Winnebago
county says the damage to all crops
will be great unless rains come soon.
In any case hay will not be more
than half crop and oats the same.
From Waupaca the report is that
wheat, oats, barley and rye will be
about half crop, hay will fall off 65
per cent. and potatoes Is per cent
! Was 1t a Miracle