Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-08-01
EXPERTS VIEW OF CROPS:
8. W. Snow Says the Dry Area
Is Extending in the West.
Gloomy View Taken Of Prospects In the
Corn Belt-Texas, Arkansas, Mis-
souri, and Kansas Practically
Eliminated from Calculations.
B. ". Snow. expert crop statistician of

r. w. Snow, expert crop statistician of
national fame and a man whose word on
his speciality Is as near law on the board
OF trade as any ones can be. has pre-
pared the following review of the present
crop situation, in which he takes an es-
pecially gloomy view of the prospects of
corn says a special despatch to the st.
Louis Globe Democrat.
Another week Of blazing sunshine, with
scant relief here and there from light and
scattered showers, ends with the stricken
corn area greatly extended and the work
of crop destruction unchecked. The show
ers reported in portions of Kansas and
Missouri are too light and too scattered
to afford any permanent relief, and their
effects, is more than Offset by the rapidly
growing damage in Iowa. Illinois and Ne
braska and so far as corn results are con-
cerned. these are the States that deman nj
attention.
Broadly speaking Texas, Arkansas.
Missouri and Kansas. with one-fourth of
the total corn acreage this year. may be
largely eliminated from any calculations
as to the size OF the corn crop, and rains
in this territory will now be valuable not
for the corn they will make, but to make
pasturage and fodder for farm animals.
month OF high temperatures, without
moisture during the period whore the
corn crop was coming into the tassel, has
killed tassel and silk on all but the very
might now restore the color of the plant
and the new growth of blades. they would
not produce even a growth of nubbins.
There are districts in these states
where conditions have not reached this
extremity, where. on bottom lands or in
communities especially favored, fraction
OF the corn crop will vet be made but
presuming favorable weather conditions
from this time forward and making am
ple allowance for late fields and favored
districts 1t Ia difficult to see how these
four States can secure more than from a
Quarter to third of a crop at most.
Present receipts of hogs and cattle at
Kansas City, running from so to 100 per
cent above the normal supply, and repre-
senting a marketing Of all ages ana
grades TO save them from a lingering
death, fully confirms this position.
During the last week crop deteriora-
ton has been rapid in a considerable por-
zion Of Nebraska south of the Platte, in
southern and southwestern Iowa and in
routhern and southwestern Illinois. while
local drought damage Is being reported
from important districts in Indiana. ONO,
Kentucky and Tennessee. 1t is this new
DEVELOPMENT showing rapidly extending
drought area that makes the present sit
uation 80 serious because IL gives strlk-
ing evidence of probable low crop ccndi-
tions in all Of the important corn States.
Usually in seasons OF great crop loss IN
one section of the belt good yields in 9TH
er districts serve partially to make good
the deficiency, but this year there seems
to be but a scant hope for such compen-
sation.
THE drought of 1894 is the only one
comparable to the present in extent and
severity, but il will be noted that In that
year Missouri and Texas were compare
lively little affected, Nebraska and Iowa
being the greatest sufferers. At the pres
ent time Texas. ohio. Indiana, Illinois.
Iowa Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska
will not show a condition above so, While
some are lower than In 1898. though posSl-
bly the present general average may not
he quite so low. The point Is that the
present drought is injuriously affecting a
more widespread territory than did that
of 1894 up to this time the most serious
on record
Crop reporting records bring out an
other fact which should not be overlook It
When crop has once suffered drought
injury, It's recuperatlve power is slight
and While rains may restore color ana
growth they do not increase yielding pow
er This is ILLUSTRATED by the fact that
in the four July drought wears above r.
fcrrcd to the conditions of the crop i'm Oc-
toher, when II was harvested was lower
IN each case than was reported in August
This is logical because tn, drought in
Jury is TO tassel and silk, which no amount
Of later favorable weather can renew.
winter wheat threshing continues TO
develop some ASTONISHING rh'oS "l N''!
and disappointing returns aer so lew mat
they may be ignored. IN" SouIhW, stern
returns are especially high' ana II 'oh-
frmed by later work they VIII heceSsltate
a material modification or all previous 's-
Inmates in the direction OF redlcal lhcr'"s-
IS. As an illustrations threshing reports
from six counties In oklahoma average
above twenty bushels per acre where mar
vest conditions were not thought 10 war
rant an expectation OF more than slxte'h'
Similar reT orts from the thfeShhg opera
tions in seven Kansas counties sho" an
average up to this tliu" or TWENTY-FIVE
bushels, While four Nebraska connucs
show an average or 2h5 DuShclS' lhere
may be tendency 10 thresn the pest
wheat first but the reports already re-
CiVcd are such as to make 1t certain th"t
rate Of yield is developing that is dc
cidedly above harvest expectations. SINH
lar reports are received from ONO, ludl-
ana and Illinois, while from all sources
nothing but good is heard concerning the
quality of the crop.
The spring wheat situation Is not go
entirely promising as 1t was on july J.
but the actual damage ~ vet is small
High tempcra lures and hot winds have
lessened the possible yield and reduced the
quality of the crop in portions of South