The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-08-29
INDIANA LEADS IN ANNUAL
PRODUCTION OF CORN, THE
GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL

corn In the great American cereal Most
~ the other grains that we produce were
brought from Europe by the early col
anls,s. ana some Of them. Ike wheat
came originally from Asia. Wheat was
nrst cultivated In the Euphrates valley
thousands ~ years ago, and was carried
Hi over the world from that ancient coun-
nv by the migrations Of the white races.
corn. however II indigenous 10 America.
and was unknown in Europe until the
epan,ards carried home the seed. IL was
the food OF the ancient mound builders
ana OF those mysterious lost nations that
tult the ruined cities OF Yucatan and
central America. IL was the chief sub
flstence OF the empires of Montczuma
ana the Incas: and the northern Indians
reyerenced II as a gift OF the Great
Spirit. II saved the first Puritans from
starvation. and from the Atlantic TO the
grand prairie II gladdened with Its golden
smile the hard life OF the pioneers. Nor
were its blessings limited - the early
settlers, for the sons and grandsons OF
the pioneers find today our greatest
wealth producing crop the backbone OF
American agriculture"
Indiana has received but little attention
I'm our current literature as a great corn
producing state yet the farmers OF
grand old Indiana raise more corn
that is produced In any other state 81 its
size In the union. The Indiana crop for
1890 as shown In the returns OF the cen
sus OF 1900. amounted to IFS. 070 bushels.
as compared with 52055.39O bushels for
Ohio and a. 5Si.l30 bushels FOR Michigan.
both OF which are larger states than In
diana This Indiana crop is greater than
the crop reported in the previous census
for all the states north OF Georgia and
east OF Ohio. including all OF New En-
gland-ffteen states In all Incidentally
Indiana raises as much wheat as Pennsyl-
vania and all the states north and east
together. including New England. Texas
would make eight states the size OF In
diana From 5.0ll690 acres Texas raised
100 go $50 bushels OF corn in 1899. while
Indiana raised lis. 9s7.070 bushels from
400 249 acres The five states which take
precedence over Indiana in the production
OF corn-Kansas. Nebraska. Missouri.
Iowa and Illnois-are all much larger
states in area. Kansas and Nebraska
would each make more than two In
dianas Missouri is nearly twice as large.
while Illinois and Iowa are each about
two-thlrds larger In area The Indiana
crop for the census year was worth more
money than the Nebraska crop Indiana
produces about one-twefth OF the corn
crop OF the United States and about one
sixteenth OF the worlds crop Of the gold
en- cereal
The following figures are given in the
census for 1900 on the leading crops OF
Indiana:
Acres Value.
Corn 49,. 81. !. .... 4sso2to s51. 7s2 81
Wheat .. 2.s9s293 -. 22s. 31t
Hay and forage . .. 24424i4 20. 227 ~,
Oats 49,. ........ l.01T3s5 7.&5s. 6.
The corn crop It viii be observed. was
worth more titan the three other principal
crops combined Corn was by far tn
most profitable crop. being valued at SILL
per acre as compared with Sss per acre
Tor wheat. ss.2s for hay and 1888 for oats
The Indiana corn crop averaged about
forty bushels per acre. while the average
for the entire country Is less than thirt,
bushels. and the average. outside OF thu
half dozen leading corn states. Is no
more than twenty bushels. The crop O