Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-12
HE NEEDED MONEY HARVEST NEARLY IN
Fasmers Of State Have Made
Amazing Progress Past Week.
DAT SARE CONSIDERABLY DAMAGED
Director sase's Report Shows situa-
ton Is Not as Serious as Feared and
Corn Has Optimistic Outlook in
Spite of Rains.
fFrom Mondays Daily.]

lFrom Mondays Daily.]
"The farmers of the state have made
amazing progress in the harvest during
the past week." says Director Sage of
the weather and crop service IF my
reports did not show what had been
done in SO many sections of the state
could not believe it. The greater part
OF the harvest work is completed and
the threshing season will be in full
blast in few days. When we take
into consideration the amount of rainy
weather in August it seems almost i'm
possible to believe that so much has
been accomplished. Many stations re-
ported rains occurring more than half
the days of the month, and the aver
age all over the state was thirteen
rainy days out of the thirty-one in
July. The rains were no little showers
either. In many cases they were
heavy rains SO as to prevent work in
the fields for some time afterwards.
The month of June was worse than the
month of July as far as the number of
rainy days was concerned
The rainfall for July was five inches
above the normal for the entire state.
The normal rainfall for July in Iowa is
1858 inches and this year 1t was S.67
inches. With the rains scattered as
they were it is a wonder that every
thing was not drow.led out. In spite
OF the rains everything appears to be
in pretty good shape as far as the har-
vests are concerned"
The reports received by the weather
and crop bureau indicate that the oats
have been considerably damaged by
the rains and are not of good quail
lty. Mr.. Sage suggests that the farm.
ers can easily utilize the oats for feed
by having it ground with barley or
some other grain. This will make il
possible for them to see more of their
corn, which is almost certain to be a
good crop and almost as certain to be
good price on account of the fact
that there is so little old corn in the
country The proph scies of Mr.. Sage
made when conditions were worst are
low being realized. He refused to be
stanpeded and declared that the pros
poets were still good for a corn crop
in spite Ct the large amount that had
been des;"ayed by the floods. The
grain men ar J all who are at all con
Iversant with the "rop situation are now
extremely optimis .ic as to the outlook
| for corn
| The early reports received showed
| the acreage of corn Ia be nearly eight
and a half million aercs. 1t has beer
estimated fully one million acres wer.
destroyed by the floods. Estimatin,
I that there are still 'i0ea 900 acres o
| good corn in the state, which is low
estimate. the crop is certcin to be lar
+ ger than the average. From the pres
I ent oui ok the corn Is likely to yielc
4 forty bushels to the acre If there
/ should be yield of 40 bushels to the
acre from 100000 acres the stats
would this year produce 2S0,00O,00l
bushels of corn or 30,00000o in exces!
of the general average. In spite o
the unfavorable prospects up to few
weeks ago, Iowa is still likely to pro
duce the largest amount of corn in it,
history.
The crop is now practically out o
/ danger from everything but frost. |
has all tasseled out and most of it hal
already cared. Dry weather would d,
it no harm and the only thing that cal
damage it is an early frost DANCE
! from this source is not probable, a
the corn is SO far along that it is like
ly to be well matured before any heav.
frost is at all likely to take place.
few localities have suffered from hal
but this damage has not been large.
is danger that is never absent dun
ing the summer months, but the area
affected are generally very small.
The weather men agree that it woul
be a good thing. for the state if dr.
4 weather would prevail after the threst
ing season is over. Rains are of a
most daily occurrence, however, an
it seems impossible for the tempers
ture to rise above 80 without bringin
a rain. There has been very little he
weather this summer, and no such he
days as last summer abounded will
The general average OF the tempers
ture has been greater than last yea
however, as there were fewer col
days in the spring and early summe
The rains have made the pastures gro
rapidly and it has been years sine
the pastures We're in as good cond
ton this time of year as they are {
the present time. Cattle have fattel
ed on the pastures this summer an
have been easier to take care of tina
before.