Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-30
IOWA CORN YIELD
CROP FOR 1903 REACHES two
HUNDRED AND TwENTY-NlNE
MILLION BUSHELS.
Weather Predictions Not Mysterious
Guesses = Are Not the Work of So
Called Weather Prophets - Iowa
Weather is All Right.

Iowa is credited with total yield
of 229 ,220 bushels of corn for the
year 1908. The total crop for the en-
tire United States is placed at 2,244,-
l76,925 bushels. These are the figures
OF the bureau of statistics of the de-
partment of agriculture for the year
1913. In the state estimate the fig
ures tally very closely with the fig
ures of the state crop service.
In the state report, however. the
area harvested was materially less
bureau. This accounts for the differ
ence in the average yield per acre as
SHOWN by the two reports.
Inc total value of the corn crop of
the United States is estimated at $685.
S6S,00O. If the value of the corn fod-
der IS included, the whole crop is
worth more than a billion dollars.
As to Weather Predictions.
THE weather predictions for Thurs
Day, says a recent exchange, were
Tor rain or snow, with colder in the
northwestern portions of the state.
But yesterday morning there was
hardly cloud in the sky, the sun
shown with the genial warmth that
has characterized so many of the De-
cember. days this year. This may lead
some people to believe that the wealth
er predictions do not amount to much
after all.
Many people still believe that the
weather predictions sent out by the
government service partake of the
mysterious and the uncanny work of
so-called prophets. But such is not
the case. The government observers
simply take note of the trend of lows
and highs, of storm areas and clear
ings.
When storm is formed in the
| northwest and sweeps onward to-
ward the southeast, the government
observers wire the information to
scientists send warnings to the Sec
tons which are likely to be covered
| by the storm area, and estimate the
time In which the storm may be ex-
pected. If runaway engine starts
from Ottunnwa it is possible to wire
Chillicothe to be on the lookout for
| it and to have the tracks clear for
| the monster That is what the wealth
| er service does. Nothing more. OF
course before the engine gets to Chill
| licothe the steam may be exhausted
and the fire in the fire box burned out
| SO it often happens with storms that
are scheduled to arrive. They may be
| rained out or showed out before they
| reach all the people in the territory in
their track. Or contrary current OF
air may swerve them out Of the usual
course. There are manv things which
may interfere. Or, when clear wealth
er is predicted local storm may be
made out of local atmospheric condi-
] ton. But this does not inNalidate the
| predictions as a Whole.
Iowa Weather is All Right. ;.
One rarely picks up paper but
what he notes the departure of citi-
zens to some distant point to spend the
| winter. Like birds of passage many
seek winter resorts to avoid the APP
| proach of severe weather. To find q
| dwelling place where billiards come
not and the flowers forever bloom has
| attractions for human beings as wei
| as for birds. But then the most of us
have to remain behind to keep our cor.
| ner of the world moving and keep il
in some semblance of shape for our
selves and to welcome the return OF
the wanderers. What matters il
though that our faces are bronzed ant
the sand creeps into our bodies, we
have the pleasure Of conquering the
elements and witnessing the mos
| beautiful of contrasts. Human ma.
ture tires of the evenness of thing.
be it ever so mild or enticing. We
weather, disagreeable weather, bu
weather that is generally moderate
| It's the kind of weather that spice!
life. 1t helps to cool the over-arduous
tempers the fitful, cheers the despon-
dent, moves the laggard along, ant
buries those who will not move. will
the greatest of all coverings that o
oblivion. Iowa weather is all right
we wouldn't change it if we could"