Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-08-10
CORN FIELDS RUINED
in SEVERAL STATES
RAINS CAME TOO LATE.r TO SAVE
CROP IN MISSOURI, KANSAS.
AND OKLAHOMA.

AND OKLAHOMA.
GORE INVESTIGATION A GREAT DRAMA
Oklahoma city's Wonderful Growth.
editorial correspondence by E. NJ.
CARR
Last Thursday morning the writer
and his wife started on their annual
vacation tour. They spent their
first night out in Kansas City, and
resumed their journey the following
day to Oklahoma City, where they
are at present making short visit.
seAson's Corn Crop Very Poor.
During the past month have ex-
amined the corn crop in northern IL
iinois. along the line OF the Great
Western railway between Manchester
ans Chicago; and in southern and
central Wisconsin. along the line Of
the q. & st. P. Ry. between Chi
cago and st. Paul: and in central
Iowa between Manchester and OF
tun.wa; and in northwestern Mis-
souri, eastern and central Kansas
and Oklahoma. And have talked
about corn crop conditions with trav-
eltng men and fellow passengers In
AL OF these sections, and In all my
He have never seen half as many
rnined corn fields as have ridden
\ through during the past three or
four weeks.
In northern Illinois the corn, al
though not as good as in Delaware
county, Is fair. 1t looks as though
they might get from half to two
thirds of an average crop. A little
further north, however, up through
Wisconsin, the damage caused by the
long dry spell can scarcely be est-
mated. The lower leaves of most Of
the corn were dry and brown and the
upper leaves that still retained their
color were rolled and wilted. Fires
We're burning in meadows, fields
ard forests adjacent to the railroad.
The heated air was laden with smoke
and dust, and taken as a whole the
dire effects OF the 1910 drouth in
that state will long be remembered
by those who have witnessed 1t.
Between Manchester and Ottumwa
good corn fields prevailed in Jones,
Linn. johnson and Iowa counties, but
on further south the damage caused
by the drouth continued to increase.
On the black loam lands between
'Manchester and Des Moines there Is
good averaAa corn. the best I have
seen anywhssse this year. And in
that section Of the state corn on
light or sandy soils Is not entirely de-
fstroyed With favorable weather 1ors
the remainder OF the season such
fields may average half crop.
RetweenS Des Moines and Kansas
sCity the pastures and meadows are
|Sgreener than they are in Delaware
county. but the corn Is small, poor
stufS. Tho early part OF the season
must have been decidedly untavorS
able, for the corn In many OF the
fields Is no higher than the renee,
and Of slckly color.
We travelled westward from Kan.
sas City $50 miles, and then south
ward. through central Kansas and
oklahoma more than $50 miles and
mcst Of the way through ruined
corn fields. In the valley Of the Kan
sas river the corn Is good, quite as
gOoG as the best corn in Delaware
county. But the valley at best, ]
should think, would not average
more than 10 miles In width. The
state as a whole Is vast Level
| prairie, where the drouth this year
has practically destroyed the corn
crop Small grain, n,-7howeyer, Is
good crop this year In both kansas
anl Oklahoma. and they raise good
dea. OF whea. In both OF these
states which they can seA LOT soou
money.
As we 1ouraeyed soutnward tne
corn became drier and drier unnl
there IVES scarcely green leaf 70
sbe seen In the fields. And tnese
burned up fields locked decideday
odd covered with a sheet OF water.
They have been deluged with ram
h down here during the past Few days.
We rode for many miles yesteraay
evening through section OF Okla
homa where at least third OF tne
ground, corn fields and stuDDie
fields We're covered with water.
The Rock Island line over wnicn
we travelled from kansas CITY 70
Oklahoma CITY Is more than 4Vo
miles in length, andsthere rs spractica
ly no unoccupied land TO be seen
along the route. The farms, as q
rule, are we'll improved, and tne
towns and cities are Well buiH, ano
look more progressive than the towns
and cities In Iowa. TDey seem &c
do more manniacturlng IN Kansas
and Oklahoma than we 40 IN iowa
There is growing feenng IN iowa
that the legislation OF the state mar
not tended to promote manufactufiht
within our borders.
notwithstanding the loss OF thel
aac corn crop mood ouu IN Kausas az ose II Tba ur re-
rent rain had brought hack the greel
oo,nr ~ their nastiIres and meadows
and n was hard to get a. farmer I,