The Detroit times., 1915-09-18
Yield Will Be Biggest
Ever, If Weather
Stays Warm
MICHIGAN GRAIN
is IN POOR SHAPE
Peaches So Plentiful
They Can't Be Mar
keted Properly

Equal in intensity TO the struggle
between the Tigers and the Red
Sox for the American ieague pen
nant Is the fight OF the country's
corn crop TO ripen before frost, &C.
cording to Harry q. Simmons. presi.
dent OF the Detroit Board OF Trade.
III heavy frosts hold of for an
other month. the country will see
one of the biggest corn crops In It's
history" said Mr. simmons. Friday
morning. Michigan corn is In a
dangerous situation. The first corn
was brought in last year on Nov.
II, and the season this year is two
or three weeks later. We're likely
10 have freezing weather before the
corn has chance to ripen. But In
Missouri. the farmers are ceiling
corn on 10 days time. and II frost
holds of for a month. the biggest
part of the country's crop will be
harvested. Michigan isn't as inn
portant corn state as some OF the
states 10 the south. We may lose
our crop. but IL the states south OF
us save theirs. the corn situation
will be fairly good Weather such
as this weeks would bring the corn
crop TO maturity in short order. II
IL were TO continue little while.
The grain crop in Michigan Is
just as We expected II would be,
sprouted and damp and not at all
good. Oats are more or less stained
all over the state. There is one
region. norm OF Lansing. where
they have done better than in other
parts OF the state. and are fairly
good Potatoes are poor. beans are
poor. Altogether. II has been a bad
summer for Michigan farmers.
Peaches. understand. are so
abundant that they are bringing
only 81 a bushel. and In some places
they arc being allowed To rot. or are
being given away. That is n case
in which abundance does the farmer
no good"
Michigan produced about 10000
900 bushels OF corn. last year. Iowa
was the largest producing
state, with 37s.000,000 bushels. ILL
nois was second with 305.00O.0
Peaches are coming into Detroit
at the rate OF tom 5000 10 5000
bushels a day from Ohio. West Vir-
GINA and western Michigan. The
crop is the greatest ever harvested,
but the growers are in a fair way
TO stand heavy losses owing to the
fact that the commission merchants
and retailers are making no special
effort 10 handle the peaches quickly
and dispose OF them al low prices.
They prefer. 1t is said. to let things
taxa their usual course, make their
usual profits on bushel and dump
into the river what cannot be sold.
The public is not made aware Of
the glutted market, and, conse-
queht!y, is willing 10 pay the price
1sKed. while the poor who are un.
accustomed to purchasing this fruit,
do not know that 1t may be bought
at TIE dock where the Bay
boats come in for prices ranging
from so cents TO dollar a bushel.
This Information on the glutted mar.
ket comes from Earl y. Stephens,
who Is representative for the United
States Department of Agriculture in
this matter. In Detroit This depart
mept has sent out circular letters
20 all retailers. urging them TO help
savc the crop by extra work and adj.
vertising. making a smaller profit
on each bushel, but securing the
usual total gain through the guam.
tity disposed OF. In this way the
grower will not sustain such heavy
losses and people Of moderate
means will reap the benefit. So far
the retailers. II Il said. have not
responded to the appeal. In Chica-
| 20 carloads OF peaches are allowed
to rot because Of inefYciency In
handling the unprecedented guam
| tity