Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-05
OATMEAL AND CREAM MAY BE
ELIMINATED FROM BREAK.
FAST MENUS.
FOOD MANUFACTURER NOT
IN OPTIMISTIC MOOD
Continued Wet Weather Prevents
Farmers From Completing Harvest
and Grain in Shock Is Rottins in
FisIds-Portion Of Crop Already
Harvested No Better Than the Uncut.

cream" the great International break
fast food with which the nations OF
| the earth have fortified themselves for
the work of the day for generations.
! will be forced out OF the present posi-
ton of pre- eminence unless crop con-
ditions take a sudden change for the
| better
| The continuous rains Of the summer
! in combination with unusually low
temperatures has played havoc with
the oats crop this season, according TO
crop experts IN the state who have
! been maintaining a close watch on the
! progress OF growth and harvesting OF
| oats in particular.
The reports which we have been
receiving relative to crop conditions in
Iowa are anything but favorable" said
George Laird, general superintendent
of the Quaker Oats Company, today
Although I am endeavoring to main
tain an optimistic attitude in regard
,, to oats l am face to face with the cold
facts that conditions for a good crop
certainly are against us" ne said.
Crop is Bad.
"All in all the general condition Of
the oats crop is bad" continued Mr..
Laird. THE oats that have been cut
are in no better condition than those
that have been allowed to stand in the
fields. Those that have been cut are
undergoing a slow rotting process in
the field simply because the farmers
have not been given an opportunity TO
store them. They have been kept from
going into the field to complete the
work because of the bad weather,
Those oats which have been allowed TO
stand are going to seed rapidly. The
life of the oats is in the sprout and
when that grows the life Is gone. This
condition OF oats obtains in many oats
fields in Iowa.
In the early spring the oats crop
of Iowa had all the appearances of be-
ing a bumper one, and one which would
break records. This condition was
maintained until July l. when change
for the worse was noted with the com
ing OF rains and cold weather. So far
as the stand is concerned now the
crop is an unusual one but unfortu-
nately the expectations never will be
realized. The quality OF oats this year
will be much below the general aver
age and the quantity will be greatly
depleted. OF course some sections Of
| Iowa will produce high yield, but the
crop thruout the state as a whole will
be disappointing.
No New Oats Received.
Mr.. Laird said that no new oats had
been coming into the plant of the
Quaker Oats Company SO far this sea-
| son. In ordinary times new oats be-
gin to appear about the last week in
| July, but it will be considered miracu-
lous II they are received before sep
| TENDER /. Altho a cool summer is an
ideal condition for oats so far as tenn
perature is concerned. more than ideal
temperature is required to produce a
crop that is high grade. The damp
ness this year has been the great con-
tributing cause for the delay and the
poor quality.
The crop shortage and the poor
quality will affect with some degree of
seriousness the working capacity OF
! the Quaker Oats Company. The mills
require one and one-fourth million
| bushels of oats a month, but whether
any such amount will be received this
year is questionable, and in fact, il
might be said to be beyond the bounds
of probability. At the present time the
| Quaker Oats Company is working or
a twenty -four day schedule, but
whether this can be maintained with
out an adequate supply Of oats is
questionable. The mills of the Quaker
| Oats Company turn out nearly 10000
bushels of grain every twenty four
hours.
1.-TWO weeks Of dry weather would
serve a purpose in remedying condi-
tons which seem to be very discourag
ing right now" said Mr.. Laird, "anc
altho ! am regarded as a hopeful man
see very little in the present condi-
! tons to cause me to wax enthusiastic