Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-18
CORN KING in IOWA
GOLDEN CEREAL WILL MAKE A
BIG SHOWING DURING COM.
ING SUMMER.

Next Fall, According to Present IN.
dications, the Crop viii Be Record
Breaker, Even for the Hawkeye State
What Director Sage Says.
Corn will be more than king in Iowa
this fall with normal conditions pre-
vailing from this time on. With corn
acreage unprecedented in former wears
and a good stand upon this the farm
ers OF the state are exceedingly hope.
full. The plow has been sent into the
field for the second wedding and corn
will be that proverbial knee high on
the Fourth Of July.
Director Saae's Views.
The past week has been one which
placed the corn fields in very favor
able condition. Concerning the six
days Director ]. R. Sage of the Iowa
Weather and Crop Service bureau
says:
There was a general prevalence Of
favorable weather and almost ideal
conditions during the six working days
of the past week The average temper
allure was slightly cool; but the days
were mostly bright and warm, and the
time was well improved in cleaning
out the previously weedy cornfield. Re
ports show very satisfactory progress
in this line of work, nearly all of the
unusually large corn area having been
cultivated once, with good progress in
the second blowing. The stand is prob
ably som ewhat below the normal, but
1T is generally better than previous
reports indicated. Though the sur
face is dry, there is sufficient moisture
in the soil for present needs.
| "Tne conditions have been favorable
for the other cereal crops. The hay
crop is well assured, but the pastures
will need rain in the near future Po-
tatoes, garden truck, and all fruits are
making good advancement. The re-
ports are all quite favorable for the
apple crop"
Big Acreage in All Crops.
That Iowa will stand pre-eminently
out in the corn belt this fall when the
crop is husked is evidenced by the fact
that this year there is one million and
a half acres more in cultivation that
| there were ldSC year.
An interesting table of statistics has
been compiled by Director Sage show.
ing the acreage of the various crops
according to reports from all sections
of the state and the increase over the
preceding year. 1t follows:
Corn - Total number of acres, g.
052,450; an increase of about per
cent as compared with the average of
( the past six years and 100000 acres
in excess of the area actually harvest
ed in 1908. The average condition Of
corn about June / was 80 per cent or
about Is points above the estimated
condition at corresponding date last
year.
Wheat-The area of spring wheat
sown this season appears to be only
775,040 acres as compared with the
acreage in 1902.
Oats = Area seeded, 4,O1s,9So acres
decrease of about 100000 acres COM
pared with the acreage Of 1901 or
about 5 per cent below the normal
area. The condition is placed at 90
per cent.
Barley - Area seeded, 49S, 37D
acres; decrease since 1901 about, 49,
800 acres; condition June l, SO per
cent.
Rye ~ Area seeded, 99,59o acres; de-
crease since 1901, about $4,000 acres.
condition June 1, 81 per cent
Flax - Area seeded, 51,370 acres;
decrease since 1901, 23,130 acres; con.
dition of crop IS per cent.
Potatoes - Area planted, 113,25O
acres; condition 95 per cent; acreage
about normal.
Meadows - Area, 2,79764O acres;
an average of recent years; condition
of pastures, 81 per cent.
Condition of fruit = Apples 81;
plums SO; peaches As; grapes 81. cher
ries SO; strawberries "a; raspberries,
49,; blackberries, II per cent.
i Condition of live stock - Cattle, "a
per cent; swine SO; sheep 81; horses
95; foals SO; spring pig crop IS.
Condition of crops June 1, 1903 -
rye "a; potatoes 81; flax S4 meadows
1903; pastures 1O7; apples 10; cherries
and plums 35 per cent.
Only drought or an exceptionally
wet season could now interfere with
a bumper crop. The conditions at pres
ent surpass anything that has been
seen in the state since 1901. At that
time the crop had about an equal out.
look but the acreage then was far be.
low what it is at the present time.
Considering the hard winter which
: corn had to weather the past year, tue
stand throughout the state is far bet
: ter than had been anticipated and ev-
cry Iowa farmer wears smile that
would do justice to millionaire.
:, But it is not the corn alone which
wears the air of prosperity. ,Other
crops have an accordingly good ap-
pearance and this autumn the tiller of
the soil promises to have first-cass
rating on the strength of his output.
Only the most pessimistic have the
slightest doubt but that Iowa will be
richer by many millions of dollars
! when the snow flies this year.