The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-15
CROPS ARE DRYING UP
FIERCE HEAT OF PAST TEN DAYS
HAS DONE IRREPARABLE
DAMAGE
CORN IS THE WORST SUFFERER
Entire ReIf Is Affected and Loss to
Farmers Already Amounts
to Millions of Dol
lars.

CHICAGO July 14.--A week Of fierce
heat and cloudless sky. A week of blast
& ing winds and whitening vegetation A
week of the worst weather conditions on
record in large part of the corn belt
And the end is not yet, says b. w. Snow
uin the Record-Herald. Under normal
conditions ten days of such pitiless sun
shine as has characterized those just
past would seriously damage all crop
growth, but when; as this year, such a.
period is a elimination of a much longer
, period of drought, the extent Of the
damage canot be measured by any ordi-
nary rules
With the exception of a small area in
Southwest Iowa and adjacent districts
fin Nebraska and Missouri, the week was
practically rainless in nearly the whole
of the corn belt, while the daily range
of temperatures was from 5 to 10 de-
gress above the normal. In the North
west recent weather conditions were re-
peatcd and too much rain was expert
enced
The extent to which the corn crop has
been damaged since July cannot be read
lily measured, nor would any estimate be
of value until present conditions shall be
relieved An estimate radical today is
conservative tomorrow, so rapid is crop
destruction after the limit of crop en-
durance has been reached.
The area IN which drought destruction is
In progress is widening rapidly, and every
day now without good general rainfall
over all that territory west of the Mis-
sissippi river costs the crop Millions of
bushels. Scattered showers will not
serve. An American corn crop is not
made by local rains
The official report on July / gave corn
condition as 70 in Missouri and "A in Kan
Sas. Destruction since that date has
been rapid, and with immediate relief
these states could not now make a half
crop. Within the present week the dan
ger line has been passed in Central Ne
braska south of the Platte, and in these
important districts rapid damage is be-
Ing done. Drought damage is cumulative
and after deterioration begins the crop
runs off ten, twenty or twenty-five points
almost before local observers can realize
It,
Another fact to be borne in mind is
that q corn crop once injured by drought
possesses little reeuperative power, and
figures of condition are usually very little
advanced after rains come. At such
time moisture barely serves to maintain
crop vitality at the point to which 1t had
fallen, rarely bringing any material re-
covery.
ENTIRE CORN BELT AFFECTED.
The present situation is unique in that
the crop is shown in good promise in no
section Of the important belt Usually in
years of drought and heavy loss in one
Section there is compensation in heavy
crop yields elsewhere but this years corn
secured an unfavorable start in all sec
tions, and no Improvement is noted. Last
year there was heavy drought in Kansas
and Southern Nebraska, but this was Off
set by almost perfect crop conditions in
Iowa, Illinois and other districts.
i, In Indiana, Ohio and Eastern Illinois
the present crop condition is compara-
lively low on account Of the poor stand,
inferior early growth and lack of vi
tally following the cold weather of the
early season. In these states, and es-
pecially In the Ohio Valley June was
marked by heavy rains, preventing Gull
tivafion and packing the soil. On we'll
drained lands the high temperatures of
the past ten days have helped the crop,
ebut in low lands the crop is weakly and
the soil is beginning to bake. In this
district only the best possible future
. weather conditions can insure an aver
age rate of yield.
= Up to the present time corn in Iowa
has maintained It's position except in a
few Southern counties, but the danger
line has now been passed over a large
part of the state High temperature
and drying winds have robbed the soil
of the moisture received at the close
of last week.
Ordinarily the strong heavy soils of
\ Iowa viii Withstand drought, but this
year damage will be severe and prompt
Because of lack of rainfall during the
early season. w Gather bureau reports
show only IS to 65 per cent of normal
rainfall from March to July /, a short
age which leaves the soil without mols-