Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-11-27
Movement of Crops Looked to as
Opening of Season of Biggest
Business That Iowa Has
Ever Known.
Iowa's Wealth.

Oats PA, 800 900 12O, 641, 800
Estimates of the wealth of Iowa
crops and herds this year bring the
total so near to 81 100000 that
the effect is dazzling. Last year the
total value of Iowa farm products,
including crops and live stock was
1921 900, 900, but the 1912 wealth
of Iowa will run over 5000, 900, 600
Official figures which are coming
to the Iowa weather and crop bureau
indicate that almost every crop in
the state had doubled in value over
the yield last year. There is an in
crease in acreage everywhere, but
this is not nearly so marvellous as the
increase in yields per acre. Every
crop from the early wheat to the late
corn and potatoes is successful, and
that in every county in the state.
Signs of prosperity and lots of
gold in Iowa this fall and winter are
already catching. Railroads are pre-
pairing to work their men night and
day at the division points in the
state. Not only will Iowa freight
business probably exceed that of any
year in the history of the railroads,
but the Translate business will be
heavily increased. One railroad man
is authority for the statement that
If not a pound of freight originated
in Iowa this year the trunk lines
would have to work their entire
force to handle the business which
will originate further west and cross
the state in its trip to the eastern
markets.
State Labor Commissioner Van
Duyn says that at no time since the
free state employment bureau was
started has there been such a de-
mand for laborers. Practically every
county in the state wants corn husk-
ers. Every canning factory in Iowa,
and this state has some of the larg-
est in the world, is short of help.
At Atlantic. Oskaloosa, Cedar Rapids
and Ottumwa factories as we'll as
farmers are calling for laborers.
The wealth of Iowa crops and
herds this year would come near
wiping out the interest bearing debt
of the nation if so applied 1t is
sixty or seventy times as much as
the nation originally paid for the
Louisiana Purchase, which embraced
not only the entire state of Iowa but
Minnesota, North and South Dakota,
Missouri, part of Kansas, Nebraska.
Colorado, Oklahoma. Mississippi,
Montana and Louisiana. 1t is suf-
ficient to equip and arm more than
hundred battleships of the dread
naught type, and would pay the pen
sionS of the government for five
years and more.
The wheat report for the state is
already practically complete with
7,461,3O0 bushels, as compared
with about 100000 bushels last
year. The oats crop reports so far
received by Crop Director Chapel,
carried out over the total acreage in
the state, would give yield of 214,-
$4,000 bushels of oats in Iowa this
year as compared with only 1907
461,30O, the official figures for last
season. Nor does the pleasing pros
pect stop here. In 1911 Iowa corn
totaled up 2S1,366,6OO bushels,
while this year there is every indi-
cation that the crop will total 400,-
100000 to 425, 900, 200 bushels. This
last figure is an estimate, but it is
believed to be conservative. 1t is
pointed out that corn was damaged
more in the state last year than any
other crop and that the conditions
this year are such as to give even a
bigger percentage of gain on corn
than on wheat and oats.
A conservative estimate of the
value of farm crops of Iowa this
year, based on preliminary estimates
made by the Iowa weather and crop
service and by the federal depart