The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-25
In Some Counties the Yield VIII
Not Be Is Per Cent. of
the Average.
NOT A GREAT CALAMITY
Farmers in Many Cases VIII Be
Out of Pocket Only for Cost
of Seed and Labor.
FIELDS PLOWED UNDER
And Preparations Made for Plant
ing Oats and Corn-The Sea-
son Backward.

Indiana will have little surplus wheat this
year The crop will not be half the average
yield. In some counties il will be less than
Is per cent the usual amount. and in others
il is a total failure.
This statement is borne out by reports re-
ceived from the Journals corps Of corre-
spondents, talks with representative farm
ers elevator men and grain dealers. whose
business it is to know actual conditions.
Some farmers have plowed up every acre
of wheat and are preparing the ground for
oats and corn.
wheat-growing in Indiana. except in a
few counties. is not profitable Many other
crops pay better. but rotation is necessary
to restore and preserve certain elements OF
the soil. and wheat continues 10 be planted
in large amount. When wheat is ruined
i'm the present season, aud weather condi-
tions permit. farmers plow up the ground
and seed il with oats or corn. and II fer
tiliZer be used the profit often is greater
than il would have been with good yield
OF wheat However. in many counties the
ground has been so wet this spring that
blowing has been almost impossible. and
an average yield of oats is not expected.
Corn, though. may do finely. the large
quantity of moisture in the soil will give il
stimulus in a hot. dry summer.
Farmers complain of the backwardness OF
the season. The winter permitted of little
outdoor work. and the torrential rains OF
March and early April made blowing i'm
possible. Farm work generally is behind
two to three weeks. In the uplands little
blowing has been done, but in the bottoms
and valleys the ground still is soaking with
water and it will be well into May before
the soil is sufficiently dried out TO he in
workable condition.
NOT A CALAMITY.
Partial loss of the wheat crop in Indiana
is not regarded a calamity. Early this
season, when the succession of thawing and
freezing periods showed the crop would not
be a success, farmers began preparations
for planting oats and corn. Where the state
of the soil permitted early sowing of oats
in the plowed wheat fields there will be
good crop. and there also is a probability
of big yield Of corn where the wheat was
winter killed. II oats and corn be not in
jured. farmers who lost their wheat will be
out Of pocket only the cost OF seed and
labor. Therefore. as has already been
stated. the injury to the wheat crop in In
diana is not as serious matter as IL would
be in States where farmers could not hope
for profitable crop of others grains.
The Indiana Farmer, which has several
hundred correspondents in the State.
Gently received advices in line with the re-
ports received from the Journals own corps
of correspondents. James l.. Kingsbury. OF
the Farmer, yesterday gave the Journal
synopsis of the reports received by his
paper He said: "Our reports. which come
from every county i'm the State, some from
almost every township in a county. indi-
cate that the wheat crop is certain TO be
less than 80 per cent. Of the normal yield.
This is mainly due 10 the decreased acre
agv, and this decrease has been caused by
the plowing up of winter killed wheat The
conditions last fall were not first class and
the winter was very severe on the wheat
plant. Matters became serious i'm March,
when thaws and severe freezing literally
threw the wheat plants out OF the ground
Some fields had the appearance of being
blasted. the stalks being dead to the roots.
Floods also played havoc with the fields in
lowlands. and some of the correspondents
speak of the wheat being covered with five
TO ten inches of sand.
Farmers who have not put in oats where
the wheat was killed do not expect over
ten bushels an acre OF wheat. and even this
yield. under the circumstances, will be
exceptional Many of the correspondents
speak hopefully Of oats and corn but it is
too early to predict the success OF either Of
these crops. as in many Instances they are
not yet sown. Some farmers who used fer
tilizers last fall say their wheat is all right.
but these cases are rare.
I'm regard TO other crops than grains
our reports show that peaches and cherries
have been injured. Grapes also have suf-
fered TO some extent, and the prospects
are good for apples. Strawberries. black
berries and raspberries.
Potatoes will be later than usual for
the reason that all farm work is from two
TO three weeks behind.
Some farmers complain that timothy
and clover have suffered. but indications
point to a normal crop"
STATISTICIANS' REPORTS
State Statistician Johnsons latest reports
indicate that the average condition OF
wheat in Indiana is about 40 per cent. as
compared with former years. The statistf-
clan OF the Department of Agriculture. In
summarizing the reports received up To
April 10. put the average condition i'm In
diana at $50. against $40 i'm 1903. $40 in
1892 and 100 as the average for ten years.
The Journal prints only few OF the re-
ports received from its correspondents.
They speak for the whole State. as there is
a great similarity In their tenor. All the
correspondents say the season is from two
TO three weeks backward and that wheat
practically Is a failure or will be less than
half usual crop. In many portions OF
the Kankakee. Wabash and White river
valleys the ground is still too TO pIow
In the central portion OF the State farmers
are sowing oats. and I'm the southern coun-
ties preparat ations are being made 10 plant
corn. Where clover grows well farmers
are sowing IL over the dead wheat Kos
ciusko Is Of the counties where IL is
said the farmers will not harvest as much
wheat as was sown last fall In the Wa
bash valley the crop Is not expected TO
provide more than enough grain for bread
and seed
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