The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-01
SITUATION IN THE NORTHWEST Is
GROWING MORE CRITICAL
EACH DAY
OVER THREE MONTHS OF RAIN
Wheat Is Heavy in Straw, but Short
in Kernels, and Corn Is Retarded
So That Not More Than Quar-
ter Crops VIII Ripen.
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
CHICAGO, June 30.-Dispatches from
state boards of agriculture of the great
wheat and corn belt to the Record-Her-
aid place the actual damage caused by
the heavy rains Of the last week at some
thing like $7OOO,OO0 with the statements
that if warm, dry weather does not come
within few days the damage will be
almost inestimable.
Kansas seems to be the greatest suf-
ferer thus far. Secretary Coburn, of the
Kansas state board will give no estimate
of the loss sustained by the state, but
grain men estimate that 100000 bushels
of wheat have been destroyed already-a
matter of something like 1000 900 loss.
ONO estimates its loss at $50O,00O in
wheat and hay. but it is believed that
the good done by the rains to corn and
other crops will more than offset this loss
Indiana places damages by rainfall
at $4,000 to $5O000O. 1t is agreed that
the figures are hard to get at because
what has been damage to one kind of
grain has been benefit to another. The
continuance of wet weather will mean
that farmers will find themselves over
reached by weeds in the corn fields, that
the uncut wheat will be beaten into the
ground and that the grain which is now
ju the shock will sprout in the shock and
spoil before it can be threshed and stored
a hot and clear July is the thing whicn
the farmers are praying for.
in the Northwest.
From the Northwest comes the com
plaint that the crop situation is critical,
rain having fallen almost continuously
s March Is. Wheat has grown i'm
mruSely i'm the matter of straw but is
short on kernels, while the corn crop has
been retarded to such an extent that it
ls believed not more than a quarter of
the crop viii have a chance to mature
Unprecedented rainfall in the wheat and
corn sections Of Illinois has been expert
eueed and crops have suffered greatly.
but Secretary Garrard, of the state board
Of agriculture, makes no estimate of the
loss More rain must fall in the month
just being ushered in if the fear of a
shortage in crops that appears to have
seized upon the board of trade operators
l5 to spread to the ranks of the farmers
la the Central and Western states.
The weather man says so in the same
breath with which he puts forth his apol-
oEy for the downpOur that has deluged
Chicago and everything to the west of
here during th6 past two months. and
the reports being gathered by the various
railroad officials hear him out.
Traders Are Active.
on the Board of Trade, though. the men
who trade in the grains that the farmers
of surrounding states are nurturing
through these wet days are not waiting
for the coming of the additional storms
Where a year ago prices went soaring be-
cause of the hot spells and the lack of
heavy rains. so now thew are rocketing
sNvward for exactly opposite reasons. The
continued cold weather, with it's half hid
den threat of retarded growth of crops Of
aI sorts, and the admitted drenching Of
every field in the adjacent states that
holds a crop of marketable grain, put the
traders on their mettle yesterday, and the
efforts Of the Shorts" all over the floor
to make good against possible losses
pushed the purchase price we'll up and
created no end of excitement in the trad
ing pits