Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-02
IMMENSE GRAIN CROP.
Gratifying Estimates of Railroad
Experts For the Coming Har-
vest.
Three Billion Bushels Of Corn, Valued
at Billion and Half Dollars, VIII
BE Handled, Far Surprising
Any Previous Yield.

Some of the executive heads of the
Trunk Line Railroads are compelled to
accept, at second hand, the reports of
those who make estimates of the amount |
of the crops, says a correspondent of the |
Philadelphia Press. But few of the |
Trunk Line managers have had long ex-
perience in the harvest lands of the West |
and are able to calculate with reasona-
BILE accuracy the amount of the crops, |
after having inspected the wheat lands
and the corn belt. being careful to pass
through several states so that a good
average may be estimated.
No like report has been brought to New
York in any previous year. At times these
experts have returned, bringing estimat-
| cs of record making or almost record
| making wheat crops. In the early part of
Clevelands second administration a rail
| way manager whose career was conten
| porageous with the railroad era from 1850
to 100 who knew transportation in the
West as we'll as in the East, came back
to New York after a trip through the var
ous States chiefly occupied in growing
corn. His account was received almost
with ncrcdulity
$1,000 900 WORTH OF CORN.
If the weather continues kindly
there will be almost as many bushels of
corn harvested as ever before and much
of it of superior quality. Therefore, If the
farmers should receive as much as 50
cents a bushel. the corn crop of the Unit
ed states for the year 1906 will he con-
verted into $780, 1000.
Whatever the price, it is now certain
that the farmers will exchange their corn
for considerably in excess of $1,000, 600, eco,
unless very unfavorable weather sets in.
So. these two chief among the grain
crops of the United States, promise now
to yield to the farmers not far from ST..
Coo, 600, although, of course. these are
comparatively rough or approximate es
Inmates. Whatever the money value be-
it is sure to be very large.
HAY AND COTTON CROPS.
In any account Of the years agriculture
in the United States less comment is
fixed upon the crop of hay than it's value
and Importance surely justify The stats
tics ,havc for some years enjoyed a sort
of kindly quarrel each side maintain
ing strongly its own opinion, each claim
ing that the other is much in error one
group of statisticians insist that the hay
crop Of the United States. If it be avcras-
ed. Yields in money more In the aggregate
than does the cotton crop. The other
group is convinced that the prestige is
with cotton.
But that. after all, is mere incidenta
l frolicking Both crops are so great and
leach yields much money to the
Igrowers that hay and cotton must be
= reckoncd with largely in any estimate OF
e the years agriculture. Cotton commands
v attention because 1t plays so imporan,
q a part in international commerce ani
n furnishes :, many bills OF exchange that
are utlnzed by the International bankers
The hay crop finds what the cotton croI
d; does not, very great local and neigh
borhood market. and while the export
of hay is large. vet It plays no part II
international commerce and finance com
i pared with that which cotton represents
AT rough estimate, it is probable thai
within a year at least 10000 new freight
cars and from 60 TO leo new locomotives
y will have been built. delivered to tn,
II trunk lines and paid for and put in opera
e ton. serving to alleviate tho eXpccte,
/, congestion at the stations where grain l.
X delivered to the railroad.
= And yet the railway managers ar,
:, anxious. 1t is an anxiety born of pros
l. perity, and not of scarcity. 1t is th'
embarrassment of richie. II teaches :
: lesson such as the Pennsylvania mana ge
It mont has for some years been tcachinq
e, namely. the immediate necessity for Yer.
l. large addition to equipment. to trackag 81
'e and especially to terminal facilities.
60 GREAT EXPENSES NECESSARY
= All these improvements cost a grea
o. deal of money and the demands made b
T. the railroads for iron and steel for trac
ii Improvements and terminal enlargement
H. and upon the carbuders for additional
cars, represent money value full
D. equal to the entire transportation earn
TT ings Of the railways of the harvests a
in they were generation ago
IS. In other years transportation from tn
IN harvest fields, great as it was, has nc
e. been balanced by transportation fror
ly the East to the West. Those were
a. the years in which the farmers wer
ne catching up. were paying off mortgage
ne We're investing their surplus earnings
7 additional acres. But this year III
or transportation from the East TO the We.
90 is likely fairly wcllIo balance tho tran!
ed portaton from the West to the Eas
70 There will be very few empty cars
T., haul back from the Atlantic Coast TT
% ldomand for manufactured products al
even for Injuries for cotton, silks AZ
other dress goods that is to come fro
the West, even the remote West to III
South will make IT possible to send r.
:, turn freight instead of extra freight car
RS NEW FINANCIAL ACTIVITY
nd - !, ,
The news brought from the West cot
4, frmng as it does and even surpassir
" the estimate of the Government crop e.
perts. has stirred up a new activity
the financial center ana has apparent
stimulated new interest in the eXchang
to where railway and Industrial securiti
are bought and sold. For it is regard
es, las impossible that there should be scrio
setback or continued stagnation If 1t
true that the harvcsts are of the quail
and the qu,ntity reported to-day by t
to railroad energy.
Such harvests are sure to create cnorI
1t Gus amount of exchange, with which
will be comparatively easy for our ban
Zen ers to lquidate obligations with Euro
and which will furnish additional mon
nd ca pital to meet tho demands of those w
are investing in industrial or buildi
Ich opera lions, or who are improving or 9
larsing the railway system That is o
to- aspect of the financial side of this que
a tiCn.
The other is that with which those W