The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-15
THE DROUGHT In THE TEST.
Lack Of Rain and High TempePa-
ture Cause Heavy Losses.
No Precipitation in Minnesota or the
Dakotas for Ten Days-The Wheat
Yield BEING Steadily Cut Down
No Harvest in Certain sections.

ST PAUL. July l5.-No rain has fall
len in Minnesota or in the Dakotas for
ten days. In South Dakota. the mercury
has been around Ig7 for four days. with
a hot wind blowing. Late sown wheat
has suffered loss of 81 per cent
Dispatches were received this morning
from Huron. Aberdeen. Eureka, and along
the James River Valley, south to Iowa.
where some Of the reports show total
loss Some grain in the southern part
Of the State is ripe and is being cut.
Experts estimate the loss, if the present
heat continues, at an additional 10 per
cent each day
The heavy loss IS in the greatest wheat
growing section. Corn has suffered less
and with rain within the next few days
viii revive In southern Minnesota. there
has been some damage by heat, but tor
rid weather has prevailed here only three
days and wheat and corn viii probably
pull through all right. North of a line
west from st Paul TO the Missouri Riv-
er both wheat and corn are IN better
condition.
The Red River Valley, which suffered
from too much rain, is Frightening up,
while west of the Minnesota border there
is no cause for apprehension Here there
has been little extreme heat and wheat
has attained good growth. While show
ers would be beneficial they are not ac-
tuaIIy needed Tor some time. Taking the
three States, it appears that the loss to
date viii be about 40,5gGco0 bushels of
wheat
A month ago the total yield was esti-
mated at 200 00G, ,G90 bushels for the three
States, so that with favorable conditions
from this time, the Weld viii be about
$50 Geo. 0o0 bushels, an increase Of 90 0o0. .009
over last year. Very little corn Is raised
in northern South Dakota, northern Min
nesota, and North Dakota, but in the lat
ter sections there promises to be a good
crop.
The future of Northwest crops depends
wholly upon the weather Rain must
come very soon. Without rain South
Dakota viii lose practically all her crops
and Minnesota must necessarily suffer.
WICHITA. Kans- July I5--It is the
judgment of men most competent to give
an opinion on the subject that the chief
corn-producing section Of Kansas viii
not yield more than a third of a crop In
many sections the failure viii BE- total
Cane, oats, and alfalfa are also IN a Sc
rious condition while the grass has suf-
fered severely from the dry and intense
" not weather tnat mas pFtFaIieu mere
and over most Of the State during the
past month
Prairie hay. a produce heretofore Of i'm
mense value in the stock industry, viii
be very short, but the situation is causing
no serious alarm among the people Of the
State.
The fact that they have had four or
FIVE successive bountfuI harvests has given
them adequate financial strength to tide
them over what seems to be = great dis
aster- Besides. the State has harvested
crop of wheat aggregating at least 800
COO bushels The bsEks are overfiowing
with farmers money The situation. how
ever. VIII be incOHvenIent, because the
probable loss Of feed VIII interfere ma
terially with the farmers who had plan
ned to make cattle and hog feeding a big
feature of their operations this year They
fear for that important feature Of the
farming industry
There has teeH no rain in the corn belt
since June 15. and the heat has averaged
very nearly 100 degrees every. day for
three weeks The heretofore disastrous
winds have not shown up and whiIe they
are absent there is always some hope for
corn