Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-08-06
REPORTS FROM MANY STATES
GIVE LIE TO PREDICTIONS OF
DISASTER FROM LATE SPRING
rs AN AVERAGE YIELD
Wheat ls Held to be in Much Besssr
Condition Than Predicted, cetton
Shows Big Crop and Corn, Al.
though Backward, Is all Rlgf,t.

Chicago. Aug. 5.-Pessimists who
saw Distress and financial ruin for the
farmers Of the United States and be-
cause Of their hard times a stringency
for the whole population Of the coun-
try, have been put to rout by reports
OF crops prospects received in Chica-
go yesterday.
The late spring. with Its accompany.
Ing chilly blasts, which fingered until
the. beginning Of summer. furnished
many prophets with dark visions for
the future, and the story OF the com.
plete failure Of all the important crAos
was handed about as an established
fact. Just how far these false proph-
cts failed has only recently come to
Il light in the cheerful reports from
practically every aection Of the United
ykStates.
Ill Stories Of the prosperity near at
hand for the American farmer--a pros
perity practically sure to be reflected
I to all classes Of 6it,zens-came from
the editors Of various farm weeklies
1 and periodicals devoted to crop con-
\ ditions.
From Almost All the States,
The collection OF reports was made
by g. r. Erwin, president Of Lord and
\ Thomas. advertising agents. Engaged
in business to great extent de-
pendent upon prosperity, Mr.. Erwin
determined to investigate thoroughly
che stories Of. the dismal prospects,
and In manner that would leave no
/ opportunity for doubt. He appealed
to the editors of the farmers papers
Aas the men closest in touch with the
pulse of the farming world and with
their ears trained to catch the expert
] opinions Of the farmers. Letters were
! sent to editors Of papers in almost
(, all the states Of the union, and We
plies from every one, many of them
y by wire, were received.
I Mr.. Erwin asked particularly after
the wheat crop, the oats crop and the
hay crop, and not only did he learn
what he wished to know regarding
Them but he was told of the situa-
ttion in the cotton and rice field of the
ksouth, the tobacco fields of Kentucky,
Virginia and the Carolinas. of the corn
crop in every section and Of potatoes,
rye, sugar beets. fruit, live stock, bar
ley and flax.
Only Anxiety About Corn.
Only in the case Of corn does there
siseem to have been any appreciable
effect from the bad weather Of March,
April and May. And even the corn
crop is said to be merely a backward
one,. with tendency to be under.de-
veloped, but sanguine hope is en-
/ tertained that it will come around in
time to maintain its place among the
other grain crops of the country. New
I England, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
4 Indiana and the southern states suffer
S3ed probably the most with their corn
d crops, but these probably will be Off
@set by the bumper crops expected
from Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, three
B of the greatest producing states for
q the grain.
Sc Practically nothing but cheering
4 t.ews has been heard from the all i'm
#portant wheat crop. Kansas will har-
eyvest 900, 100000 bushels this year, and
ghighly satisfactory stories of the pro
sgress of the crop and its attendant
prosperity promises have come from
minnesota, the Dakotas. Missouri, and
1.-THE far northwestern states. Rumors
&of the destructive green bug have
apparently died in the last few weeks,
land while it is admitted that the In
sect did a deal of harm in Oklahoma
land the Indian Territory, it's appear.
lance in other important wheat grow
ling states was short and the damage
Email.
So far as quantity is concerned the
sbuth is not expecting a record break
sag cotton crop. The late spring, 1t
IS said by several experts, had the