Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-26
The Crop Outlook.

of an enormous wheat and corn crop
the coming fall. Government experts.
from the best information now avail
able, estimate the wheat crop for 1904
at 635, 900. 900 bushels. Aside from the
wheat crop there is corn, estimated at
$751; COO 900 bushels, and oats, estimated
at 23S. 100000 bushels. -
| These figures are specially interesting
from the fact that they are known to bC
conservative. For years past actual
crop yields have been far in excess Of
the midsummer estimates OF the Agri
cultural Department. There is every
reason. therefore, to feel that these fig
ures. large as they are, will fail con-
siderably short of the actual results
that will be secured the coming au-
tumn. For instance Captain Albert
Head, one of the best crop authorities
| in the country. estimates the corn crop
of the state of Iowa for the year 1904 al
800, DOC, 900 bushels. This would be near
ly 100000. 900 bushels in excess of the
| average corn yield in that state during
the past fourteen years. He figures
| that this crop will be worth to the pro-
ducers $144,0OO.OOO Even if it should
bring considerable less than he antici-
pates-in view of the present fayora BILE
outlook for foodstuffs, 1t would never
theless be the source Of a very sub
stantial prosperity to it's producers.
The great war now in progress in the
East has withdrawn from the ranks of
producers vast armies Of men and con-
verted them into consumers. The re-
ports from foreign crops are also
encouraging to producers of Ameri-
can food-stuffs. September wheat
has been selling in the Chicago market
at about 30 cents a bushel. but indica-
tons point to an advance in price. The
| corn and oat markets are also holding
| firm. and everything indicates a year
of splendid prosperity for American
farmers. Such a crop, in turn, means
prosperity for the great transportation
| companies. To transport the wheat crop
of the present year will require 577,272
| freight cars of the ordinary capacity.
These cars made up into a single train
Francisco. and then we'll down the
coast of California. AS the engine that
would draw it was entering New York
the caboose would just be crawling out
of Los Angeles, and it would take a
brakeman three months of continuous
running to reach the engineer. Such
a train would be 1897 miles long.
Divide it up into ordinary trains that
an ordinary locomotive could draw. 1t
would require %, 100 trains to transport
the wheat alone.
Let us remember, however, that these
| figures, gigantic as they are. apply only
| to single crop, and we get some faint
conception of the enormous task in
volved in the moving of this years
farm products.
| The prosperity Of the country is by no
means confined to its crops. Manu-
featuring conditions-aside from a lit
tie temporary over-production in cot
ton goods-are everywhere bright. All
presidents in American exports were
violated in May. when $S7. 100000 worth
of goods were sent out, $3S, 500, 900 being
manufactured goods and $37 800, 900
agricultural products. 1t was the first
time the manufactured goods exports
had exceeded in value the agricultural.
| Evidently the world is coming more
and more to understand the value of
American products of the factory as
well as those of the soil. AS 4 result the
demand for them is growing to such an
extent, that even the disturbing in
fiuences Of national election are
powerless to check, seriously. the ris-
ing tide Of national prosperity.
/