Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-07-30


s am important feature of agriculture
in every state in the union, and COM
mandS a total acreage of S3,0O0,0O0, the
great corn belt which supplies the com.
merce Of the world is mainly confined to
Ohio. Indiana. Illinois, Iowa, Missouri
Kansas and Nebraska. Iowa is entitled
to the distinction of being crowned as
the great corn state.
Not more than % per cent of the corn
raised in American fields goes in its
natural state cut of the counties in
which it is grown. Her is the basis o.
Americas supremacy in the production
of meats. Practically speaking, We
feed the meat eaters of the civilized
world. We consume more beef, pork
and mutton than any other nation, and
provide vastly more of these products
than does any other country Without
ment would be an impossibiity.
One of the most important facts to be-
noted in attempting an adequate esti-
mate of the significance and the future
of American corn S this, the area suit
able for corn production in this country
is today almost Wholly utilized. There
4
corn fields unless the ground be taken
from some othe, crop, and the extent to
which this is possible is decidedly linn |
tied This being the case. the only ma
terial increase over our present corn
production must come from improved
methods of cultivation; and here, again,
we quickly encounter practical and pos
tive limitations The corn crop, now
Is ior Iav IN an
we passed the 2ooO.O0o,OOO for the first
time. There has been no material en-
lareement of the corn supply in the last
twelve years on the other hand the
last five years have witnessed tre-
mendous increase in both the domestic
and foreign demand for corn This is
convincingly shown by a few facts COW
ering the period from 1925 to 1900 Look
ing back five years we see an Alcrease in
the annual (domestic consumption for
glucose amounting to 25,O0o,0OO bushels
a year, and in the export demands 49,
100000 bushels annually the increase IN
the number of hogs slaughtered is TO-
100000, representing at low estimate,
200 900, 900 bushels in pork; in cattle
slaughtered the increase has been 60o,-
600 representing 6o,oO0,O00 bushels of
39s 100000 bushels year for these four
items-a splendid increase over the re-
quirements of four years ago. Concur
rent with this startling increase in the
/ consultative demand for corn ana its
products there has been, let it be re-
membered. no increase in the volume of
production.
our crop in 1889 was Zip million bu-
! ..i, - nd N
ffel back TO . Jos, 600. These figures show
400. 100000 bushels increase in the de-
mand for corn in the last five years,
wholly apart from the Increased demand
for the yellow cereal as an article OF
human food-and this with stationary
| production. All of these comparisons
\ between supply ana demand take no ac-
count of the inevitable increase IN pop
ulatlon ana the consequently iiiei easeu
consumption.
Very little acumen IS required 10 see
from this showing that we shait never
4 again return TO the olo prices lor coii.
/ In my opinion forty-cent corn VIII rep
resent the minimum figure 'or the iu'-
ure Contrast thus with the iace thae
sScorn was cribbed by investors ~
/ Kansas and Nebraska at ten cests %
thirteen cents nushei. VI course e.'S
country was then SUFFERING from eei'-
eral ana acute hhahclai nepi essio' ny. y.
which other elstnehts entered ~. =.
may pc set down WIN emphasis Una.
when the American corn crop eoi,i-
Hahas rs riehtlui isuie. VIZ =.
the su,ufe. prosperity WIZ pe Tar i.ioie
general arc inc suileiihe enSalieu iioi'i
tlnanciai oepfesssllohs fiuch 1883 aeuse
the fariner SIDE OF lhe corr ausseloii
may be stated IN sentence me iafih-
, ers in the corn states Oh america are
more PROSPEROUS nave more 'eacs ,
money, Deter MONIES better iaii'is' aitu
ENJOY NOR desirapie socia. eoit'4i .io.,s
than the fafmefs IN any oel'ef asi'eus-
turai belt N the Wofid.
The value of the country's corn cror
IN 1900 was s75l,ooo,ooo at farm prices;
the total wheat crop was valued at s'21.
100000, and the value OF all the cereals
Z Il the United States, including whea'
/, and excepting corn, was s5S5 ooo,ooo. rms
shows the oyershadoWing Importance ol
corn TO the American agriculturist as ne
amount Of talk can show H. NO coun'
, try in the world has at any time pro
) duced a cereal crop of any kind eaualint
y the corn harvest of the United States II