Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-09
CROP PROMISES
CROW BRIGHTER
SECRETARY WELLS OF IOWA
GRAIN DEALERS FORECASTS
BIG YIELDS.
Crop outlook.

Crop Outlook.
Eighty per cent planted;
excessive rains drown out fields,
cutting down acreage.
Oats-Larger acreage than last
year; growing conditions better;
prospects for better crop than
last year.
Winter wheat-Acreage 4 per
cent above last year; growing con-
dition 2 per cent less.
Spring wheat-Acreage per
cent less than 1907; growing con-
dition 2 per cent less.
Barley-Acreage 1 per cent less
than last year; growing condition,
/ per cent less.
Rye-Acreage i per cent less
than last year; growing condition
per cent less.
F1ax-Acreage 10 per cent less
than last year.
Des Moines, June 6.-Despite rains,
frosts and cut worms Iowa's crop pros
poets are today better than they were
June i last year.
This is the cheering statement of
Secretary George A. Wells of the
Iowa Grain Dealers association, who
issued his first crop bulletin for 1908.
Mr.. Wells is regarded as an accurate
crop prognosticator and his figures,
the first submitted this year, will be
eagerly read by those interested in
crops. And in Iowa that means ev.
erybody.
1t must be admitted that Mr.. Wells
Is trifie shaky as to the corn out
look. This Is due to the constant
rains, which have become SO frequent
as to indicate that the weather man
has formed a disagreeable habit OF
hauling out the sprinkllng cart each
day.
According to Mr.. Wells, so per cent
Of the corn was planted in Iowa by
June /, and by this time it would
have been completed but for the ex
cessive rains which have left the low
lands in such wet condition they
cannot be planted or cultivated.
AS divided up in different portions
of the state, Secretary Wells est
mates corn planting as follows:
| Northwest Iowa, SO per cent; north
central, n per cent; northeast, rs
per cent; west central, IS per cent;
central, So per cent; east central, 81
per cent; southwest, "a per cent;
south central, rs per cent; southeast
Is per cent.
Acreage VIII be Cut Down.
when the corn planting season
started the acreage set aside for this
crop was larger than last year ant
under normal weather conditions tn,
yield this fall would have been large
as a consequence" said Mr.. Wells
"But the soil condition Is too wet OF
account Of recent rains and consider
able land has been overflowed b.
streams and washed, which will reduc
the acreage somewhat-just how mucl
we cannot tell until these rains lie
up
II On the sod ground, cut worms hav
done some damage, though the ger
eral damage from this source will b
slight. The frosts did practically N
damage to small grain except in
very few localities, where the est
mates OF damage were from to
4 per cent.
4. AS apportioned throughout the state
damages from these sources shoy
slight damage from frost in northwes
Iowa, western Iowa and southwes
i Iowa and none whatever in the othe
Il sections Of the state The only seq
ton Of the state to entirely escap
cut worms is the northeastern section
The worst sufferer is the north Ger
trail portion.
4 Oats Outlook Is Splendid.
4 1t Is the outlook on small grain, an
particularly oats, that makes us smile
For Secretary Wells declares that o
the whole the small grain outlook |
quite little better now than at TIL
date last year. He forecasts conside,
ably larger yields, providing tn
weather is normal from now or
While he places oats at / per cen
greater acreage and the growing cor
dition as 2 per cent better. Mr.. Well
is that these figures are too low. Blu
he says they are the estimates a
based upon the reports from his CO.
respondents.
A great deal Of last years crop
have been marketed, Mr.. Wells say
Ninety-five per cent Of the marketabl
. portion of last oat crop has now lei
farmers hands as compared with 9
per cent last month and 81 per Ger
one year ago. Eighty-nine per Ger
I Of the market portion of the last cor
j. crop has now left farmers as compa
!, ed with s5, per pent last month and Z
per cent one year ago.
/, DR.. Chapel, of the Iowa crop b,
reau is computing his figures on acr
age, which will be completed the firs
: Of next week. These acreage figure
: are valuable as giving basis for con
, parison Of what the total yield wi
, be. II is expected that the corn acr
! age will show shrinkage.
! ENTRY TlMF