The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-17
4 BREAK IN MCLEOD
Long Record Of Good Crops Followed
This Year by Partial
Failure.
Feed for Live Stock Lost After It
Had All but Been
Secured.

Special to The Journal
Hutchinson, MIMI, Sept. lit has been the
boast of the people of Mcleod county that not
since grasshopper times, back In the seventies.
has the county known a crop failure. In the
sense of any widespread disaster to farming in
terests this Is, true, and only very few times
mas there been even "a partial failure of any
crop. These many years of fairness have made
of it ideal agricultural community. Large,
comfortable homes. big barns, good school houses,
netghborhood churches, creameries, and every ac-
cessory OF comfort and plenty abound In every
high schools and colleges, have money In the
bank and practically all are out of debt. This
year will break the long record of their abound
ing prosperity, but they can stand it, and, if
need be, drop in a few dollars when the hat is
passed in behalf of poverty. The long continued
rains have made the season a bad one Few
cut hay enough before harvest to feed their
stock through the winter. A little was cut and
put up in poor condition after harvest, but
thousands of acres of hay land, from which an
immense yield was promised, are now flooded.
Serious distress on account of hay shortage
might. however, be ayerted could farmers rely
on the usual amount of corn fodder With
larger acreage Of than usual the pros
poets are that the crop will be of the least value,
for over IS per cent Of the fields We're so lattened
by the windstorln Of Sept. that harvesting
the stalks with binder is task next to im-
possible, even were Is possible to operate
machtne In the dreary stretches OF mud and
mire of which corn. as well as other fields, are
composed ~ 2s f. - 49, f.a
To cut the corn by hand is out of the cues
ton. Not one farmer in fifty could get help
enough to harvest the big fields. The corn
harvester Is as Indispensable the harvester
for small grain. Another discouraging feature
in the crop is that@while corn is we'll cared out
and the kernel fairly weil natured, the stalks
which have become of prime value owing to the
hay shortage, so FtmInat ure and rank that
they are not fit to cut and put into shocks in
the field, SUCH fodder quickly moulds and be-
comes worthless III .s," '.-.'.. -,
AS to wheat and .oats3' many stacks un-
capped by the wind, aud are wet and growing
badly. Every poorly built stack is in the same
condition. Nearly all of the wheat In Mcleod
county, if threshed before the rains set in.
would have graded No. /. Little Of 1t will
ever get that grade now and much of 1T will
not go No. 2. Threshing has barely commenced.
Machines stalled mired here and there,
unable TO move on account of the mud. Some
farmers say that only steady dry weather for a
month will enable threshing rig to cross their
fields. and others say they have hopes Of
threshing till the ground freezes.
On the whole there seems to be a fair prospect
that unless theres@is an open winter. a large
amount of threshng NnsilT so over till spring
rotat which are a light crop. rotting in
the ground. ButFthe4 gentle y dairy COW, the
shorthorn steer with his bullying sides, the
rollickng porker, end. industrious hen sound no
note In the song OF. adiseordt just now coming
from Mcleod 4county farmers. There are
thousands of them In each class, and though
some of them may have to. get Off the farm
owing to half-flled hay mows and granaries,
enough will be left to feed the people, with
to ''--. ..a'-