Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-12
Ten Bushels Per Acre, Estima-
ted Yield For Northwestern
Iowa and South Dakota
BLIGHT AND, RUST DID II
Appearance Of the Grain Was Good,
But When Ready for the Harvester,
Empty Husks and Shriveled Kernels
Told the Story of a Ruined Crop
Other Grains Good.
Special to Times Republican

| Sioux City. Aug. 12.-Much disap-
pointment is felt here because OF re-
ports this week from the wheat fields
I in this section. The largest yield ex-
pected now Is from IL to Is bushels per
acre and scarcely any OF it will grade
! better than No. 3.
Some fields will not be cut at all and
the estimate of the yield for north
western Iowa and South Dakota IL
| from to 10 bushels to the acre. Ne
braska points report large damage
from rust, but farmers still claim the
yield will be 10 to II bushels.
This situation is frightened some-
what by the fact that other grain crops
are first class, hay and pastures the
best for years and corn ready to en-
brace any warm weather which comes
along.
But it must be warmer for the next
four or five weeks than it has been
for the past week or there will be no
hard corn. This is the consensus of
views by farmers and feeders. The
mercury went down to SO Wednesday
night, and since August l there has
been a deficiency of temperature OF
about so degrees.
Blight and rust have done the dam
age in the wheat fields. Their in
the wheat was ready for the harvester
when empty husks and shriveled kerr
nels told the story Of q ruined crop.
B. F. Nichols Of the Illinois Central
has just returned from trip over his
division. He declares that the wheat
crop has suffered seriously.
"One farmer said he. between
GAIA and Paullina began cutting his
wheat, but stopped when half thru be-
cause he estimated the yield would
not be sufficient to pay for the labor
involved in shocking, stacking and
threshing. Some farmers around Rock
Rapids will not cut their wheat be-
cause OF the damage done by rust and
blight The fancy reports OF conditions
which have been heard in the past two
weeks have come from persons who
drove along the sides of the fields and
saw the magnificent stand OF grain Or
the heavy shocks. The heads OF wheat
looked good to the casual observer, but
close inspection showed them to be
only partially filled and what kernels
were formed were small and shriveled.
'But the rest of the grain is excellent.
Oats is threshing out about fifty bush
els to the acre, and weighing from 80
to 35 pounds to the bushel. Barley IS
yielding about 40 bushels to the acre
and weighs about right. Hay was new
l,o ,to l.oS In
shape.
Corn Must Have Heat.
"Corn looks magnificent but the kerr
nels are just forming and hot weather
is absolutely necessary to mature the
corn crop. There will be more rough
feed than last winter and If we get con-
ditions which will give US the corn
yield which is possible with the fields
in the shape they are today, we can
overlook the loss of wheat"
Reports made to the Mystic Milling
Company of Sioux City are not univer-
sally bad. Nebraska wheat is fair.
There are bad spots around Armour,
S. D., but about Utica the grade and
yield are said to be satisfactory.
Advices are that winter wheat has
been the most successful wheat crop
in this section for two years. 1t Is still
being sown as an experiment but mill
ers say there is no reason why IL
should not be largely used. 1t has been
the belief that the winters are too Sc
we're and that there is not enough
snow. But last winter. one of the COLI
est, longest and bleakest ever known
in the northwest, winter wheat stood
the test and is yielding from 20 to 80
bushels to the acre and grading fine.
At the local offices of the Omaha rail-
road advices are that th1eshing has be-
gun between Worthington, Mimi, and
Mitchell S. D., and that the largest
WELD so far has been twelve bushels to
the acre and none of this will grade
better than No. g. 1t is thought this is
about the maximum yield in that sec
ton. The Nebraska reports to this road
are somewhat more encouraging.
Fifty Per Cent Loss.
G. N. Lukes, cashier of the Security
National bank, who returned yesterday
from a trip over South Dakota, says
conservative people estimate the dam
age to the wheat crop of South Dakota
at so per cent.
THE loss is serious" said Mr.. Lukes.
1.-The farmers had the crops almost
within their grasp when blight ana
rust robbed them of it. Other grains
are good and and corn looks splendid.