The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-31
3,O0O,000,000 BUSHELS CORN THIS
YEAR DESPITE FLOOD AND DROUTH

~ IA
TasseIs Today Over an Acreage That
WOuid Make a DoubIe-Track Rig
ht Of Way to the Planet Mars-The
Farmer VIII Feed 80 Per Cent.
Of It to the Live Stock and Earn His
Profit That Way-Three
CT the Pawnee County, Kan, Farm
ers Own Automobiles.
g. Y. Knight, in Atlanta Journal.)
Omaha, Neb., Aug. 19.-The corn
crop Of the United States this year will
be the largest ever harvested. 1t COW
ers an area of 10, 900 acres, and
the yield will be 3,0OO,O OO, 900 bushels.
Figures mean little when consider
ed in the light Of this 1909 corn crop.
The priceless gift Of the INDIAN as
Secretary Wilson calls corn, is waving
its tassels over the largest part Of the
middle West-an area that would
make a belt of emerald stalks seven
miles wide around the equator; a ter
ritOry th~ree-quarterS as large as
France or Germany, and 50 per cent.
greater than England, Ireland and
Scotland combined; and expanse large
enough to allow a double-track rail-
way from earth to Mars.
It's mighty hot" one farmer re-
marks to another hereabouts when
tEey meet.
That's so, but it's mighty fine corn
weather. is the comforting reply.
Greatest of all cereal crops, corn
comes last in the category of harvests.
The billion two hundred millions of
dollars that the farmers viii get for
their corn this year in one form or
another, shows the remarkable power
OF the farmer in economy. When he
raises wheat, he raises it entirely to
sell. But when the farmer harIests
corn his methods Immediately become
those Of the business man. He will
market only 20.3 per cen this year in
cereal form.
he ether 79.7 per cent he manu-
actures into beef and pork. On the
marvellous yield depends the large
traffic OF the packing houses and the
solution of the worlds food problem.
Lean range cattle are snatched up
by the corr raiser, who fattens them
With his own corn during the winter.
Then they are sent in prime market
condition to the packing house cen
tors. and the farmer not only gets his
rrcfit from his corn, but an added
rrctit for the beef he sells.
and still another profit on the
weight of the bones OF the steers, for
he paid little or nothing for them, vet
his corn has made them automatically
increase. in value through no Ia b of
Lis own.
That is the principal on which the
big corn raiser began to feed live
took. Nowadays he finds another way
10 make q profit. Though corn will
be made cheaper than normal by the
heavy yield, the price Of beef is going
steadily upward, and the price of
range cattle is still low.
After a fortnight spent in the corn
country there is every reason to be-
lieve hat the farmers will not be dis
appointed in their hopes for corn. In
Texas and Oklahoma, the bumper
crop was in 1908, with a combined
acreage of 14,163,OO0 larger than last
years. Despite a long drought, yet
u~nbroken, in these States, the farm
ers are optimistic. Oklahoma is a
cotton-corn State, the farmers are op-
timfstic, with a value of not less than
$50. 600, 600.
In Kansas and Nebraska, large corn
States, previous estimates have seemed
too high. Acreage was considered as
of March / by estimators, who failed
TO notice big losses by floods later in
the season. Despite these conditions
the yield for Kansas and this State
viii be about 504,O 900, 600 bushels with
acreages of 100000 and 100000 in
Kansas n Nebraska respectively.
The figures on yield are based On high
averages in these States for ten years
past, as the condition Of the crop is
above normal. These averages of yield
per acre for ten years have been 29.9
bushels for Kansas and 34.1 for this
State.
No more enthusiastic battle against
weather was made this year han by
the corn m in Iowa. Corn is
the mainstay Of that State, which
hopes to AXE the lead this year over
Illinois in the matter of acreage. One
fourth of the crop will be unsatlsfac-
tory. but the balance is in Al condi-
ton. Although the crop is now two
weeks behind, due to replanting dur
ing floods, the weather is looked to by
farmers to keep the corn yield up.
Withoput further rain in Iowa., LII
nois and northern Missouri the CROP
can be made" But any additional Au-
gust rains will help it greatly, because
the plant is not deeply rooted.
What do you big do with
your money ?" the Journal correspond