The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-07
l9li Crops Most
 Valuable In History
General Rains Improve Condi- ti0ns-Growers' Prices
 High


 That the bugbear of hard times S~~->Nas in connection with recen fsFSzrs or general crop failures k s1-oroughly unfounded is proved b, the annual crop report issued by Lore N Thomas for 1911.
 President c. R. Erwin, in discuss sSE his sources of information whict lea to the above statement mention ed that he had deduced optimistic concius5ons from data gathered fol him by the agricultural press all ov' CT the country.
 Farm papers," said MT. Erwin
 particularly those with restricted ol localized circulation, are in the very best position to give net facts as re. gards production and conditions Practically all the papers furnishing Lord & Thomas with crop informa. ton received their reports, not from mere personal inspection of con. ditiors generally. but from their sub. scribers as. to the actual production of each township and many individ- ual fa1 1ms.'
 While it is true that. speaking na- tionaily, there will be shortage in grain products. on the other hanG much higher percentage over last year than the product does a loss.
 Howard N Whitney, Managing Ed itor of the Register & Farmer, of Des M0ines, in giving details Of Iowa s conditions. states that the total value of she field crop in Iowa in 1911 is $30s, 331,066, as against $24S.116,- 636 in 1910.
 The corn crop this year in Iowa is less than last Year, averaging about 0.000,000 bushels. as against 355,- 7 100000 bushels last year. Notwitn- standing the corn crop of 1910 ex- ceeded this years crop by more than : 100000. GOO bushels. the price at this time is 55c per bushel. as against 37c to 3sc last year. This fixes the val ue of the 1911 corn crop at $137,500,- 900, while that of last year was $127,- 622340.
 The oat crop this year amounted to 116.512,500 bushels as compared to . 168, ,228,970> bushels in 1910. The acreage this year was 4,660, 800 acres. The value of this years crop at pres ent prices. is $43,109,625, as agains, $45, ,421 1922 last year.
 The winter wheat crop for 1911 amounted to 4.015.240 bushels. as against 4,125,S20 bushels last year. 20 bushels. The yield is now worth s3.212,192, as against s3,54S.205 Tn 1910.
 Timothy seed this year commands an unusual price, many farmers hav- ing sold their crop for over $500 per .DuSu6l. me yte1Q 0l IlIHOtuy SoSo this year is 10.4ls,5s0 bushels and is therefore, worth s52.os2,s00. The or- ficial estimate of the value of last years timothy crop is $1,00o,O0o.
 The fruit crop this year is enor- nous, being valued at $25,000. 900. Last years crop was a failure ana was worth $s,000.0 900.
 H. D. Colby, Editor of Kimbalrs Dairy Farmer, and James Atkinson, Editor of the Iowa Homestead, send reports which correspond to the one submitted by MT. Whitney.
 Nebraska Conditions Excellent.
 The Nebraska Farmer. through it's Editor, Mir. L. s. Heron, states that the prices for farm products this year bid fair to be such as to give the farmers of this state, as 2 whole. last year. Corn is selling at the preSent time at from 54c to roc in different parts of the state, due to the9 shortage of corn throughout the corn belt in general and the increas- ed demand.
 This state has over 8,O00,000 acres planted. and recent general rains throughout the state will bring the corn crop tP 175,000,000 bushels, as against 17S,923,928 bushels last year.
 Potatoes, prairie hay and/ alfalfa average about the same as last year. Last year the farmers were getting for their wheat 85c to soc. This year the prices exceed those of last year. Oats rule about .5e higher per bushel this year, than last. Hay viii probably run about the same as last year and will be in the neighhorhood of $10 per ton as a farm price. Last year potatoes were selling at this time for f1.50 per bushel. Now they sell for from s2 to $3 per bushel. The potato growers this year are going In, r.rxiv7 r7rsrc, fv1vp crop than from last years crop. On the whole, Nebraska is in bet ter shape than in 1910 so far as crops are concerned and the ability of farmers to buy goods.
 J. T. Dunlap, General Manager of the Nebraska Farm Journal, writes:
 Don't be alarmed about Nebraska. We are in the most prosperous con ditien I have ever known" His re- ports also show that the crops throughout Nebraska have had a good year and that all prices are
 Present reports from Kansas are not as favorable as many of the other states. Winter wheat will approxi- mate 51.365,000 bushels, ar about s. 100000 bushels under 1910. The quality of the crop is reported more than usually excellent and of extreme weight, the medium grade being linn ited mostly to those portions where yields were lighteSt.
 The corn crop this year shows decrease over last year of about I5%. However, the prices show a greater valuation than heretofore. The horse and cattle industry in Kansas, according to, reports, is showing a considerable increase, and 1911 has also been a remarkably good year for hog raising. 2 Michigan Farmers Prosperous
 The Michigan Farmer, in a report given by the Editor, states that while the drought conditions affecting DOT tions of the north central and middle western states have been severely feIt over a considerable section of Mich igan, crops and crop prospects have not been damaged to the extent which was predicted, and in the case of most crops the loss from this cause will be more than made up to the Mchigan farmer through the better prices which he will receive for his pro- ducts. owing to the fact that crop pro- duction is exceedingly varied in Mich igan, while the yield of crops har- vested and the prospects for growing crops are better than in many other states and in most instances at least better than the average for the coun- | try, as shown by the last government report.
 The estimated average yield of | wheat for the state was Is bushely per acre. With an acreage estfmat- ed to be 4H above th4 average for | the past five years, this estimate would indicate an aggregate yield for the state in excess of 16,000,0O0 bush |