Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-06
Larger Yields of Grain This
Year Than in 1907, Says
Secretary Wells
CORN ACREAGE SOMEWHAT LESS
Only Eighty Per Cent Of Corn Planted
Because of Excessive Rainfall at
Wrong Time-splendid Outlook for
Oats crop-WeIl's Summary Given
Detail.
to Times-Republican

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, June 6.-Iowa's crop
prospects are better today than they
were one year ago, despite excessive
moisture at the wrong time, frosts and
cut worms. That is the cheering
statement made by Secretary George
A. Wells, Of the Iowa Grain Dealers
Association, who has issued his frost
crop bulletin for 1908. He finds con-
ditions as follows:
Corn-Eighty per cent planted; ex-
cessive 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 per cent
above last year; growing condition q
per cent better; outlook good.
Spring wheat-Acreage S per cent
less than 1907; growing condition 2
per cent less.
Barley-Acreage l per cent above
last year; growing condition per cent
better; outlook excellent.
| Rye-Acreage / per cent less than
last year: growing condition per cent
less.
Flax-Acreage 10 per cent less than
last year.
| Mr.. Wells is trifle shaky as to the
corn outlook. This is due to the con-
slant rains, which have become so fire.
quent as to indicate that the weather
man has formed a disagreeable habit
of4anNng out the sprinllling cart each
| day. Il
According to Mr. Wells, so per cent
of the corn was planted in Iowa by
June 1, and by this time 1T would have
been completed but for the excessive
rains which have left the loWlands in
such a wet condition they cannot be
planted or cultivated.
AS divided up in different portions OF
the state, Secretary Wells estimates
corn planting as follows:
Northwest Iowa, SO per cent; north
central, n per cent; northeast, Is per
cent: west central, So per cent central.
IS per cent? east central, "a per cent;
southwest, 81 per cent; south central.
rs per cent; southeast rs per cent.
| Acreage Will Be Less.
"When the corn planting season
started the acreage set aside for this
crop was larger than last year and un-
der normal weather conditions the
Yield this fall would have been larger
as consequences" said Mr.. Wells to-
day. But the soil condition is too wet
on account, Of recent rains and consid-
cradle land has been overlooked by
streams and washed, which will reduce
the acreage somewhat-just how much
we cannot tell until these rains let up"
On, the sod ground, cut worms have
done some damage, tho the ger eral
damage from this source will be Slight.
The frosts did practically no damage
to small grain except in very few To-
calities, where the estimates Of dam
age were from 2 to 5 per cent.
AS apportfoned thruout the state,
dam agesfrom these sources show slight
damage from frost in northwest Iowa,
western Iowa and southwest Iowa and
none whatever in the other sections of
the state. The only section of the state
to entirely escape cut worms Is the
northeastern section. The worst suf-
ferer is the north central portion.
Oats Outlook Splendid.
It Is the outlook on small grain, and
particularly oats, that makes US smile.
For Secretary Wells declares that on
the whole the small grain outlook is
quite a little better now than at this
date last year. He forecasts consider
ably larger yields, providing the
weather Is normal from now on. While
he places oats at per cent greater
acreage and the growing condition as
2 per cent better, Mr.. Wells stated that
his own personal opinion is that these
figures are too low. But he says they
are the estimates as based upon the
reports from his correspondents.
A great deal Of last years crops
have been marketed, Mr.. Wells says.
Ninety-f1ve per cent of the marketable
portion of last oat crop has now left
farmers hands - compared with 80
per cent last month and 90 per cent
one year ago. Eighty-nine per cent of
the market portion of the last corn
crop has now left farmers as compared
with IS per cent last month and II per
cent one year ago.
DR.. Chapel, of the Iowa crop bu-
reau, is computing his figures on acre
age. which will be completed the first
of next week These acreage figures
are valuable as giving basis for
comparison of what the total yield will
be. 1t is expected that the corn acre
age will show shrinkage.