Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-27
100000, BUSHELS
ioWs'e CORN DROP WILL, 1T 10
ESTIMATED, REACH
THAT MARK.
Director J. a. cage Thinks That
Within a Month the. Exact Yield for
the Year VIII Be K .;,-aatherlna
OF tho Crop Ie Prog. ,sslng.

~ 49, SiSF ~ S-iSG 's#NltiEt
J. r. Sage, director of the Iowa crop
service, believes that 1t will require
another month for the farmers G.. the
state to get the corn crop out Of the
fields In order that 1t may be weighed
and the result of the years work
shown to the world for final inspec.
ton Of what Iowa has done for herself
and the remainder of the universe.
Hueking has received much atten.
has been but little activity In the corn
fields. Corn cutting has progressed in
some communities where shock iced
ing required 1t but for the greater part
the stalks have been allowed to stand
Ior the husking pegs of the husky far.
mer boys who will soon have the crop
safely within doors before the snow
flies with sufficient chill to prevent the
gathering of the crop.
Three Hundred Million Mark In eight.
1t Is fully believed that such por.
ton Of the crop is safe as will easil.
cause the grand average to reach very
close to the 300,000,000 mark, altl ough
there have been many predictions to
the end that there will be a shortage
in the crop somewhere The light
frosts which fell in several localities,
although not of consequence enough
to cause any apprehension, has given
rise to fears that the corn crop will
not reach the volume Of that of the
year 1903, but there has been plenty
OF evidence to contradict this state
ment by. the showlngs of the weather
bureau and the expeditions made by
Professor Sage himself upon which he
gathered corn from the worst frost bit
ten localities showing but little dam
age.
The grain men of the state and par
ticularly Of the northern portion, re-
port that there has been a great ad-
vance made in the gathering of the
crop but that another month will be
required to complete the harvesting.
Extra precautions are being made for
the handling of the great shipments
which will be sent from the state and
the Chicago traffic Is being looked to
by the railroads.
Soil Conditions Better.
One Of the greatest advantages to
be considered in the estimation of the
corn crop of 1904 is the great advance
in the condition Of the soil for the
present year over that of the year
1903. Mr.. Sage, in estimating the crop
Of 1903, found 1t most difficult prop
osition, for the reasons that the foods
and poor weather conditions rendered
the ground In an extremely poor con-
dition in the seasons of planting and
cultlvating. However, it was found
that the ground under cultivation in
the corn crop exceeded 100000 acres.
In 1902, there were to exceed 5000, 900
acres planted by the farmers of Iowa,
NY oil Inn of 1
acres for the year 1908. There is a
large gain in acreage this year for one
thing. and further reason which
should argue for a larger crop is the
fact of the better weather and ground
The value of the crop in 1903 was
about $S300O,000, and the aggregate
product was estimated at about $780,
511,310 bushels Thus it will be seen
tivation, and the greater acreage, and
the better care with which the farmer
has planted his crop, that there should
above all things be an advance in the
aggregate result. 1t Is fondly hoped
the desired 3o0,0O000o bushels will
end the crop season Of 1904.
One thing to be considered in the
gathering Of the crop is an early snow,
which might prevent husking with as
mucn care as though clear weather
prevailed throughout. However, the
records Of the last three or four years
do not give rise to any cause for alarm
and diligence on part Of the farm
ers should cause every ear of the crop
to be in the crib before sign of snow
reaches Iowa.
The compilation of the last crop re-
port will be commenced about Decem-
Der 1 by Director Sage. and compi ,ted
when the last reports Of the crop have
been sent to the bureau.