Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-12-08
CROP CONDITIONS
IN THIS STATE
Report Issued by statistician of
Agricultural Department.
SMALL GRAIN ABOVE AVERAGE
With the Exception of Corn and Pota-
toes, All Products Are Normal or
Above, According to
Statement.

Madison.-A. w. Kalbus, statistician
of the Wisconsin department Of agri-
culture. has issued a report Of esti
mated crop conditions in Wisconsin on
November l. This report is in the
hands of the printer and will be sent
out within few days
The report of crop conditions on No
vember / presented by Mr.. KSlbus is
as follows:
THE reports of crop correspondents
in this department indicate that the
yield and quality of all crops. except
corn and potatoes, is normal or above.
Small grains were exceptionally good
in quality and the yield above the
average. the oat crop yielding in many
cases as high as rs bushels per acre.
Owing to the abnormally cool sea
son from June TO October. particularly
during August and September. corn
continued its vegetative growth with
out ripening normally in all sections
of the state, until killed by frost. On
August 80 frost stopped the growth of
corn and killed the leaves throughout
the northern section of the state and
scattered areas of low lands in other
sections. A frost on September II
killed the remainder OF the corn. Our
reports show that as a result of these
conditions only 1913 per cent of the
corn ripened throughout the state. In
some parts of the state silos were
filed with the green corn after the
first frost. resulting in very juicy, sour
and nonpalatable silage. In many
cases the juicy material is seeping
through the bases of silos. In other
sections the corn affected by the early
frost was left standing until the mid
die of September, thus losing many
leaves, and the silage made contained
a small percentage of leaves. This
siIage seems to be keeping better than
that put up earlier.
The condition mentioned above as
affecting corn brought about during
the months of September and October
prospects of a serious shortage of seed
corn for the ensuing year, and the pos
sible loss of the improved and early
strains of corn acclimated particularly
TO the northern portions of the state.
Returns from our crop reporters on
November 1 show 34.2 per cent of next
years seed corn secured from the
fields, 1872 per cent on hand in form of
seed corn from last year, making to-
tai of 47.4 per cent of seed for next
year in sight. Special activity in Sc
oh nl nd
ripened ears from fields in the dough
stage in the early part of the season,
unusual efforts put forth to get all
available seed corn from. fields well
ripened through fortunate location,
special activity on the part of the Col
lege of Agriculture, the Wisconsin FIX
pertinent association and the press on
the seed corn situation is in part over
coming the threatened shortage. 1t is
therefore possible that by December
enough seed corn will be secured
throughout the state to supply the
needs of the state for next spring.
THE frost which killed com on Au-
gust 80 also killed the vines and
stopped the growth Of potatoes in the
main potato-growing sections of the
state. The result has been that crop
promising unusually large yields in
midsummer has been greatly reduced.
showing itself particularly in the size
OF the tubers. The early frost killed
many of the germs of late blight. and
| thus reduced the amount of late blight
rot on the potatoes coming from
| these frozen fields. In spite of this,
the excessive amount of moisture, the
freezing potatoes in the ground. cou-
pied with the late blight rot and
other diseases, will probably bring
about loss of between rs and 80 per
cent"