The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-30
Crop Conditions.

that we may know definitely what the harvest will be. Since my report of May b conditions for the better over very large area of country have changed but slowly for the better, while in some sec tions things have gone from bad to worse Crops all over the country are late and many acres of fine farm land at this late date June 15, are not yet broke or planted In crops of any sort. In fact there are lots of land standing with last seasons olo corn and cotton stalks not yet cleared oiI' and much of this land Is yet too wet to break. The weather conditions however have changed for the better, and all crops which were planted in good condition and which have been kept well cultivated are growing nicely. But I will tal.e up the different crops and write of them as ma them at this date in the states where have been and where am in direct toueh' l am fully aware of the fact that we nave quite a variety of opinions as regards the crops, and the reports as we see them are rather conflicting. This comes largely no doubt. from the fact that crops vary SD much Even in one state counties may vary, and even In neighborhoodsi but we can get near the facts
 The Wheat Crop.
 I will take this crop first as It IS now attracting more attention than any other crop. Conditions have improved wonder fully in favor of this crop since my last report At that time the result was doubt ful, and everybody was fearful of snort age in the crop, as rust had begun 10 ap- pear in many of the best wheat growing sections; then the weather was such as to keep farmers alarmed, and even the best farmers could at that time give htlie l anropra paraapf for a big
 But these conditions have all changed and now we are sure of bumper wheat crop. Here In Texas, where l VIII begin this report, the crop has nearly all peeh harvested and thrashing is now well un- der way, with the most favorable weather | conditions for the work The acreage was greatly increased and the yield better than last year. Thrashing shows that such yields as thirty to forty bushels per acre are not uncommon The grain IS well filled plump and fine To give some idea of the increase of the crop here in Texas l over that of last year l will mention one | small station from which lT5 cars were shipped last year and this year the farm CTS claim that at least 300 cars will be shipped from this same small station. Much of the crop will have to be shippeu direct from the machine, as the farmers have no room to store such crop. one 
 state in order to form anything like cor rect idea of the immensity of the crop
 have just passed over 400 miles or this great wheat belt and saw thousands or acres; in fact we may look out m any | direction and see great oceans Of shocks of wheat, and see these Just as far as the | eyesight can reach. Then the actiVlty m handling the crop is something wonderful, and with a week or two of good weather | fa of Texas into Oklahoma l was surprised to find the crop at least ten days late, ana that the harvest had but fairly begun on June 15. The crop however, Is me ana the yield win be great. There will be some loss here caused by water standing In the fields and by storms, which caused lots of wheat to lodge The harvest tine mas reached up well into Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. and the crop Is promising well everywhere Of course there are scatter ing sections where the crop will be light, but upon the whole we can now count with certainty upon a great wheat crop. The weather conditions, too. at this Writ ing, are almost perfect over the great wheat belt for saving the crop in fine con dition
 Oat Crop.
 The oat crop, as reported in May. will be poor The acreage is rather below the | average, and much of this was put In in poor condition and very late. Then rust has badly damaged the crop In many sections. The winter oat crop of the south is the best oat crop we have this year. In 1 Texas and Oklahoma the winter sown oats | made a fine crop, and this crop In Texas. like that of the wheat has nearly all been l harvested In many sections the spripg crop has been mown for hay to avoid | damage by rust. Oklahoma has the finest crop of spring sown oats that have seen, In fact, the only good crop. and here the crop is as fine as one could wish to see. The acreage, too, Is largel
 The crop Is now nearly matured. free from rust, and nothing short of bad weather can prevent big yield of fine grain. But taking the whole country over the crop will be a short one.
 The Corn Crop.
 This crop is yet way off from promising to be a big one. The crop in the best corn states-Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Kan sas Is late, small and poor stands, and many fields are almost lost in weeds and grass The acreage is far below that Of last year, as we'll as the conditions There Is yet much good land intended for corn in the states named not yet planted. This crop has perhaps suffered more by wash outs frosts and overfiows than any other.
 The great floods all along the rivers in these states have washed out, drowned . out and overflowed thousands of acres of our best corn lands. Some of this may yet be replanted, but there are thousands of acres which will not dry out in time I to plant this season. In the southern states we find the crop also very spotted some fields in silk and other fields just planted and many acres not yet cultivat- ed. In Texas the crop Is above an aver age, in fact the best have seen any where.
 Texas has not suffered so heavily from floods as have the other states north, but has had about enough fine rains to make the crop promising. Many fields here are in silk and few showers more at the right time and Texas will have fine crop | of corn. However Texas is not strictly speaking corn state and cannot be re- lied upon for a big crop. as drouth and hot winds may destroy the prospect si any time. The crop In the territories is very late-a poor stand, small, and in many cases not yet worked out. Here the l floods destroyed acres of corn and caused thousands of acres to become foul. But the weather now is very favorable for cultivation and growth of the crop. But taking the whole situation as we find ii there is now no promise of big corn croI for this year.
 The rye crop, wherever 1t has had any growing at all. is fine and the crop is nearly all harvested in fine condition There should be no trouble this year in securing good rye for seed purposes.
 Hay, Milets, Etc.
 This will include such forage crops as