The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-18
CROP RECORDS ALL BROKEN.
Phenomenal Harvest OF Cereals In
Iowa This Year.

The year of 1900 will be remembered
as the most sensational in the agricul.
tural history of Iowa. All previous
records have been broken and new
mark set.
Director Sage of the Iowa weather and
crop service has issued the pre-.
liminery estimate of the crop yields for
the year. This estimate, which is sub
iect to revision when the final estimate is
made, December 8, shows that the total
of all cereals for the year is 531 ,S49. O2O
bushels. This is 10000 900 bushels in
exces of the largest previous crop in the
history of the state and ISL 100000 in
excess Of the average for the last ten
years.
The estimates are compiled from re-
ports received from farmer correspon-
dents in nearly every township in the
state, and that there may be no over
statement they are scaled down. For
example, the corn area this year is
S,6lS,660 acres. The reports from cor
respondents indicated an average yield
Of forty.three bushels per acre. To
make allowances for over.statements
and for unreported losses, Director Sage
deducted two bushels per acre from the
average of the reports and bases his es.
innate Of the total corn yield at forty
/ on Nt,Sh olS kN tt,c vi
total Of 353, 365, O6O bushels, u figure prob.
ably less than actual yield, but, withal
one of the most sensational ever an.
nounced by the service. The average
yield IS three bushels in excess of the
highest average in any year for the past
ten years. The nearest approach was IN
1885, when the average per acre was
thirty-nine bushels. The 1900 average
is about nine bushels in excess of the
average yield per acre for the past ten
years which was 1922 bushels.
But the enormity of the figures for
1900 is the more apparent when totals
are used. The 1900 corn crop is ls,OO0,-
600 bushels in excess of the biggest pre-
vious corn yield in the history of the
state-in 1891, when the total yield was
335, 031 ,59S bushels. The average yield
in the past ten years was 252 1894, 40, or
100, 7OO, 800 bushels less than the yield
for 1900.
Corn is not the only crop that shows
an increase. The wheat field has gain.
ed about 100000 bushels over last
year. Oats and flax SHOW slight dc.
crease. AS compared with last year,
the corn crop shows gain of 43 ,OOO, O00
bushels.
The report as given by Mr.. Sage is as
follows:
Corn-The reportsindicate an average
yield Of little more than forty-one
bushels per acre for the state. The area
planted was 7,6lS,66O acres, and the
total product will be 353 1865 ,OGO bushels
or $4,000, 600 bushels above the heaviest
yield heretofore harvested in Iowa. The
figures are conservative, making due al
lowance for recent damage by winds and
wet weather.
Il Wheat Yield Of winter wheat, six
teen bushels per acre; spring wheat
fifteen bushels. Total product 22,465,.
$50 bushels as against l9, 574 1872 bushels
last year.
Oats-Yield per acre, thirty-fv
bushels; total for the state l39, 10Y .15
bushels.
Rye-Average per acre seventee,
bushels; total product, l4,Os,79
bushels.
Flaxseed-Yield IL bushels per acre
total ], l97 $50 bushels.
Tame hay-Average yield, Ia ton
per acre; total 8, 1858, 40 tons.
Potatoes-Yield per acre, seyenty-tw
bushels; total output, l0,776,960 busl
els.
With current prices, which are bette
than they have been for several year
the value of the crop this year will /
close to $2l5, 100000 Last year the Gro
was worth 1914 ,6O5, 7O6. The higher
value in preceding years was reache
in 1891, when it went to $780,, S4l ,OO(
The average value in the ten years la
past was $l72,35O,25O.
Cfnru If Clavo