New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1901-08-03
THE CORN CROP AND THE DROUTH.

THE CORN CROP AND THE DROUT
Chicago, H., July 26.-B. v
Snow, the statistician, says: Al
other week with the sky as bra.
and the earth as ashes, from Ind
ana to the Rocky Mountains, fro1
Minnesota to the Rio Grande.
Never before in the history c
American agriculture have crop
withered and dried under the pit
less blaze Of a cloudless sun owe
so vast territory. Never befor
have the scorching winds of tn
furnace like southwestern plain
swept such areas in the great cen
trail valleys. In an ever widening
circle crop destruction has gone OF
for weeks, cumulative in results
until the situation is little shor
of a national disaster.
And the end is not yet.
Little showers widely scattered
bnt touching but limited portion
of the stricken territory, hav'
brought temporary relief to suf
fering humanity, but have beer
wholly inadequate to check in tht
slightest the crop destruction being
wrought in the corn belt. The
alarming feature now is that crop
deterioration is going on over sc
vast an area that showers or even
good, soaking rains here aud there
can reach but a fraction of the area
affected.
Nothing but general rain over
the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri
valleys will suffice, and natural
conditions favor no such general
visitatiOns in July and August.
The showers of the past week COW
er what equals but fraction of the
area freshly involved in drouth
conditions during the same period.
Western Ohio, Kentucky and
Tennessee, two-thirds of Indiana
and three e-fourths of Illinois and
Iowa are now the centers of crop
and are in the same
position as were Kansas and Mis-
souri, two weeks since. Not only
is the danger line reached in this
eastern half of the corn belt, but it
is SO far passed that each day of
continued drouth lessons the crop
possibilities by millions of bushels.
In the western half of the corn
belt-Missouri, Kansas, Texas and
Southern Nebraska and Iowa-the
is over and rains now
mean not corn but fodder and grass
10 carry diminished cattle herds
over the winter to a new crop year.
The only previous drouth at all
comparable with the present was
IN 1894. In that year the crop on
July | was in high promise. This
year, on the contrary, the condi-
ion on that date was never lower
3ut once. stAs result the present
:rop has less strength and plant
7igor with which to meet adverse
Weather conditions.
The present situation in only two
States, Iowa and Nebraska, shows
better than 1894, while the present
Iverage for ten States is now ap-
apparently lower than in the pre-
'ious record year for crop loss.
In addition it may be pointed
'ut that the month brings serious
rop declines in States of second
ry Importance, like South Dakota,
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Arkan-
as, SO that it may be safely de-
Jared that the present condition of |
he corn crop is the lowest report
d, promising an average rate Of
'ield below anything ever before
,nown.
Another important point is that
lrouth injury, once actually inflict-
d, is never recovered from. When
he tassel and silk have been killed
10 amount Of rainfall, no favorable
weather. condition can produce a
ingle ear. Scorched blades will
reshen up and fields take on a
erfect color, but the harvest will
o to the fodder stack and not to
he crib.
The official estimate of the corn
creage planted this year was slight
' under SO, 900, 900 acres. In 1894,
5 a result Of the drowrh of that
ear, 15,OOO,O 900 acres planted in
Drn were officially reported as to-
lily abandoned. The area on which
1e crop is . total failure is this
ear certainly larger than 1894,
nd ii such allowance be made, in
lew of the low condition reported,
le next official report may be ex-
ected to show crop promise far
Glow any suggestion yet made by
rivate authorities.
Extreme hot weather is great tax upon
. digestive power Of the babies when