The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-08-21
MlSSOURrS CROPS BEST IN
THE STATES WHOLE HISTORY.
State Second Only to Minnesota ID
Production Of Wheat.

Columbia, Mo, Aug 16.-Secretary
G-o. Ellis. of the State Board Of Ag-
rirulture has given out figures on the
wheat alrl corn cropsnf Missouri for
the present. wear and also figures
comparing the yield Of wheat and
corn this year with previous years,
Secretary Ellis estimates that the
wheat crop OF Missouri this year will
average twenty bushels to the acre.
He says the yield on some farms will
reach as high as forty oi fifty bush
els per acre,
This yield is much larger than any
previous yield in this state. The
largest previous yield was in 1900
and 1901. In both of these years
the crop averaged sixteen bushels to
the acre. 9.
The acreage this year is also larger
than in anyprevious year. MIR. Ellis
estimates that 3, $4,000 acres were
planted to wheat in Missouri this
year. He believes that previous esti-
mates of wheat acreage in Missouri
have been too low. Twice as much
wheat was planted this year as in
1901, and something over twice as
much as in 1900, in which year the
wheat acreage was 1,50I, 900, ac-
cording to the estimates ci the Unit
ed States Department OF Agriculture.
The same authority gives the total
wheat production of the state in
1900 as l1,SS3,O0O bushels. The
estimate was made by the state
board OF Agriculture and is larger
than the United States estimate.
This year the wheat crop will exceed
63, 900, 900 bushels Comparing this
yield with the estimates of other
wheat producing states, it is seen
that Missouri, which has heretofore
been chiefly noted for her corn, ranks
second only TO Minnesota, where the
estimated wheat yield is 00,000,000
bushels.
While the yield OF wheat this year
is enormous, the quality of the grain
is not so good as it has been in pre-
yious years. This is due to the dam
age done by rain. The state board
of agriculture will not give out any
estimates as to the probable price OF
the various crops. The wheat crop
however, will not bring the high
prices OF previous years. Quality
and quantity both tend to decrease
the price. Still. new wheat is selling
in the country at present at from 90
to 56 cents. No. 2 red selling for the
latter price Taking 80 cents as the
average value per bushel for the
state, the wheat crop this year is
worth S31 800, 900.
Secretary Ellis gives as causes for
the large yield and the large acreage
the absence of injurious insects, the
use OF fertilizers, the excellent season,
the good crops of the two previous
years and the fact that great deal
OF wheat which had been sown for
winter pasturage hooked so well i'll
the spring that it WAS not plowed
up.
The corn crop OF the state this year
probably will amount to 800, 900.
| 900 bushels. which, according to es-
innate given out. by other states,
will be the largest crop Of any state
In the union.
The acreage planted in corn this
year was 4 1886 acres, and, &C.
cording to present Indications, the
crop probably will average as much
as 40 bushels to the acre.
The quality will also be fine II nor
NAL conditions prevailf from this time
until the end Of the season. The
fine quality win tend to make up to
some extent for the reduction OF
price incident to the heavy yield
The largest previous yield OF corn
in the history of the state was in
1895. when the crop averaged thirty
eight bushels to the acre. The total
yield In that year was 250.O00,000