The sun., 1901-08-11
TOUR THROUGH CORN BELT.
Secretary wilson Says the Crop Is Very
Seriously Injured.

WASHINGTON, Aug. l0.-Secretary VIII
son, who has Just concluded tour through
the corn belt, In a communication received
at the Department OF Agriculture to-day.
says
THE corn crop il very seriously injured
In all the great corn-growing States. The
spring was wet and much OF the crop was
planted late on account OF the land being
saturated. This prevented vigorous
growth until the ground dried and warmed
up. 1t also resulted in shallow planting
and inclined the roots TO remain near the
surface until the dry, hot weather came
when the plant was not in the best condi-
ton to resist. Where the land was well
underdrained, naturally or artificially, tho
best growth Is found 1t Is strikingly
observable that most crops are under
sized, stunted, and not such as could sus-
tain heavy yields OF grain. This IL the
case In the bes, corn regions, such as the
route from Chicago to Burlington. Ia,
which attribute to delayed growth In the
spring.
When the great heat OF July came. with
moving hot winds, the tassels were comm z
out on the earliest planted crops. Pollina-
TO get the fertilizing pollen This varies
greatly; some ears have scarcely any ker-
nels on the cobs, others have half, and still
others have only a few lacking. This fea-
ture Ia not easily reducible to exactness,
but it is quite pronounced in many fields
and not so serious In others. The cold
spring and want of moisture later in the
best appearing crops have retarded growth,
and In the ma jority OF fields will delay
ripening, which In Northern latitudes may
subject the crop to frosts In September
should they come at the average season
To particularize: The corn along the
%" road in southern Iowa IL very light
on both hills and valleys. | do not think
half will be worth husking and the other
half does not now promise more than half
OF an average crop at the outside. This
NAV be also said OF Nebraska corn and
Kansas Is suffering still more The crop
in central Iowa promises better. IL has
heavy stalks, but an examination of the
ears shows incomplete fertilization. Suf-
flcient has not yet fallen 10 carry on tho
crop to maturity in most OF the States OF
the great corn belt. In many localities
the rainfall has been light. making but
little impression. Rain is needed now TO
make the most OF what Is left. Where sod
land was put In corn and good cultivation
had the best crops are found. The organic
matter ploughed under enabled the soil
to retain moisture and cultivation main
tanned surface mulch that prevented
evaporation, but even the corn with such
conditions requires moro rain than it has
had and will depend on precipitation for
good results.
Northern Iowa and Minnesota have
lighter crops that look green and healthy
but need rain, and cannot have average
crops on account of imperfect fertilization
A striking fact Is the urgent need of more
rain, so that the future will be prominent
factor In the final estimates.
The injury to corn Is so serious that II
II very easy to overestimate the crop.
The full extent Of the damage will not
appear until later, when the worst il dried
Iip and the best demonstrates how far
imperfect pollination has affected IT,
fhe wheat crop Is reported good every
where