Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-05-15
GENERAL INTEREST IN CROPS.

understand why there is such vide
spread and general interest in every
thing that pertains to these crops
while they are in process of making.
Practically all wealth springs from
the ground, the raw products IN
GLIDING the material furnished by
the farms, the mines, the livestock
industry and the lumber business.
The gauge Of prosperity, however,
is set by the products of the farm,
and the value of the products of the
other industries mentioned depend
to a large extent on the success OF
the agriculturist. Something like a
third of the millions of dollars an
nually yielded by the products OF
the soil is represented by the two
great crops of wheat and corn.
Cotton is also an important factor.
while the various other crops go to
make up the balance.
1t is therefore quite natural that
business men generally, other than
the farmers themselves, are deeply
interested in the progress of the
growing crops each year, ana watch
the periodical reports of the govern
ment, and those made by so-called
crop experts, with close attention
Railway men need to know in ad-
vance tho outcome of the harvest
that they may prepare for the
transportation of the crops to the
markets. Bumper crops mean big
tonnage, not only of products from
the farms to the consumers, but
also of merchandise from the manu-
featuring towns to- the farms,
bought by the farmers with their
produce. When railway men are
assured of big crops they spend
many millions of dollars for new
locomotives andncars and rails, and
many millions more for the i'm
provement OF their roadbeds and the
extension OF their lines into new
territory. The steel makers are
jointly interested with the railway
men in the harvest, for one fourth
of the enormous product of the steel
mills of this country is purchased
by the railways.
When the crops fail the railways
cancel their orders for rails and
bridges and equipment, and steel
descends from prince to pauper.
Then all the big manufacturers OF
the country, whether of wagons or
ploughs, of shoes or clothing, must
know whether their great customer,
the farmer, is to have money to
spend from harvest to harvest. So
it is with the merchants all through
the agricultural country. Even
more important is early knowledge
of the crop prospects to the bankers,
who must not only finance the
movement of the crops to market,
but must also know whether the
harvest is to cause expansion or
contraction Of capital ventures
through the country. Then there
are the -four mlllers and elevator
owpers, who are directly interested
in the marketing of the crops.
Finally there is the great body OF
men who speculate in the rise and
fall in commodity prices, and who
risk many millions in backing their
opinions as to the volume of the
crops and the demand for them in
the ma rkets of the world.
Considering the important con-
nect1on between crops and the sue
cess of general business it is little
wonder that crop news at this time
of the year is given prominent
place, and for several months now
this topic will be of absorbing in
terest. Fortunately the country is
of such wide extent that such
thing as q general crop failure is
practically out of the question.
Variations in the yield of various
crops are met with from year to
year, and some seasons, of course,
the harvest show more bountiful
returns that for tother years. Up
to date the crop outlook for 1the
present year is most satisfactory,
and unless widespread disaster fol-
lows the farmers as class will reap
large return for their efforts. And