Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-17

crops that are now so clearly in pros !
pect 1t il still possible, Of course.
for frost to require a revision of estt
mates OF corn as we'll as of cotton,
which are our two greatest producers
Of new wealth. Even this contingency,
however, would merely result in modi-
flying present highly favorable esti-
mates. Meanwhile a total wheat crop
closely approximating 700.000,000
bushels is now reasonably assured,
which is a total that has but twice
been exceeded, namely, by the 1885,
000. 0o0-bushel yield OF 1906 and the
74s, 900, o00-bushel harvest of 1901.
Spring wheat this year is making a
magnificent showing, being estimated,
on the basis OF the governments re-
port Of Monday last, at 100000, 900
bushels, which compares with q yield
Of 190,6s2, 900 bushels in 1911. This
excellent showing more than COM
pensates for the poorer showing of
the winter wheat crop, which result
ed from the unusually severe winter
OF 1s11-12. Oats and hay are far in
excess OF the yields OF earlier years,
which will, of course, release for ex-
port a considerable amount of corn
that would otherwise have been re-
quired for feed on the farm. Cotton
cannot be expected to approach the
phenomenal yield OF last year, but
according to present promises and
with an average date for killing frost
will probably not fall far short Of
100000 bales, II indeed 1t does not
exceed that total. The significant
feature is that these satisfactory agri-
cultural results are no longer IN a
broad sense mere promises; they are,
with the two exceptions ] have al
ready named. tangible results and the
mercantile and industrial no less
than the financial activities OF the
country are justified 70 preparing in
the practical way that they are now
doing to take advantage of this fact
Our railroads have in sight a great
er volume Of business than their
equipment can readily handle: there
will not alone be the large movement
OF agricultural products to market,
export demand which in tura means
a greater haul 10 the seaboard. Be
yond this we must not forget the &C
tive return movement OF merchandise,
representing purchases by the agricul-
tural districts Of the products OF our
mins-a condition that invariably fol-
lows a season Of bountiful harvests at
large Increase in production, it ia
significant that wheat at Chicago is
about loo a bushel higher than a
year ago and corn about &C higher,
while cotton at the southern markets
IL ruling at virtually last years prices.
This indicates a degree OF prosperity
even greater, especially so far as
the west is concerned. than is sug-
gested by the mere volume of produc-
ton.
The increasing activity in indus
trial pursuits is emphasized by the
reports that are so general in all sec
tons OF the country of the scarcity of
labor. Furthermore, the monthly re-
port OF untitled tonnage on the books
of the steel corporation affords &C
tive confirmation in the same direc-
tioa. This report indicates that the
orders for the month of August were
206,000 tons in excess of the deliver
les during the month, while, as is
well known, the mills have been work
Ing at virtually full normal capacity
TO meet urgent demands for early
deliveries. What is is of still greater
importance is that the remarkable
activity represents a demand at prices
for products that are profitable to the
mills. There is excellent reason to
believe that the contracts which were