Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-24
The Rains Have Had a Bad
Effect on All the
Late Corn
LARGE PROPORTION is DAMAGED
Estimated That the Crop Has Deter
iorated Fully Fifteen Per Cent Dur
ing the Past Week in at Least Half
the state-Reports From Railways
and Others. ax
axaa..



innate the damage to corn in the north
ern half of the state from the wet
weather now doing business at from
h Is to 20 per cent Director Sage, of the
crop and weather bureau, does not
think that the rain is doing any especial
damage except to fodder. Some grain
men do not think that corn can be
worse damaged than it is.
I'VE gather from our correspondence
that the rain has damaged the corn Is
per cent in that section of the state
north of the Rock Island railroad" said
Mr.. B. A. Lockwood yesterday. 1T
is a serious situation. II the rain con-
tinues the damage will continue to be
greater in proportion as the time ex
tends. Not only is the corn prevented
from drying out, but the water fills
the husks and the tendency of the ears
is to droop and drop to the groun1.
With every days rain the tendency
increases. With a large amount of tho
corn on the ground the danger vastly
increases. for it may be damaged III
two ways: Either it rots on the ground
or If early snow falls then the farmer
can not gather his full crop.
1T is bad business for Iowa The
small grain was so seriously damaged
that a bumper crop, only. could have
redeemed that situation. With the
corn in bad shape, and no telling how
much more it may be damaged, the
Iowa producer is most unfortunate.
Director Sage thought the principal
damage from this rainfall would be to
the fodder and not to the corn in the
ear. In his opinion that is damaged
about ali that it can be. While the wet
weather may prevent the corn from
drying quickly, with a little seasonable
weather the crop will be as great as it
would be II this equinoAlal had not
come. "Of course, assume that the
rain will cease in day or so,'' said Mr..
Sage. 1t is true that we need drying
weather. If the rain should continue
an unreasonable time, there Is no tell
ing the amount of damage it might do.
But am figuring on ordinary c0ndi-
lions. If the rain ceases promptly, as
1t is bound to, the crop will be all right,
I believe, so far as this two days wet
spell is concerned. There are many other
conditions which may affect the crop.
Extremely hot weather. after a hard
freeze might sour the corn, or any num-
Der of unfortunate things might occur
to further damage the crop, but they
would be extraordinary. Its condition is
now such that believe that 66 per cent
of the crop may be said to be made, in
most of the sections of the state. 1t is
true that a slightly different state of
affairs exists in the portions of the state
which suffered from excessive floods
last spring. am talking Of the general
situation"
Mr.. Sage has prepared a circular to
all the crop reporters asking them the
condition of the corn crop in their sec
lions so that he may make a general
report public next Tuesday covering the
situation up to Sunday. The crop bull
letin issued yesterday was the last reg
ular issue of the season. He thought.
under the circumstances, that special
corn review would be appreciated by
the people of the state, and it is for this
for which he has provided.
Mr.. j. NJ. Brown, of Counsel1nan &
Co., thought that the corn could not be
more nearly ruined than it is. That is
so far as the northern half of the state
is concerned" he said yesterday "The
southern half is all right, generally
speaking. There is plenty of corn. The
other states have not suffered as badly
as Iowa has. The small grain and corn,
both, have been ruined in the northern
half of the state. The oats have rotted.
Those In the shock are just as well off
as those In the stack I believe, for
those that were stacked were rotten to
begin with. estimate the damage tol
the corn in the northern half of the
state at not less than so per cent"
Director Sage yesterday that he
would prefer year like last year to one
like this any time.