Middletown transcript., 1915-10-16
BILLIONS FROM
GRAIN RARvESTS
Most Valuable American Crops
Ever Grown.
CORN is STILL KING
But Wheat Yield viii Exceed a Bill
lion 5usheIs-Potatoes Badly
Injured BY Wet
Weather.

Washington. - American harvests
this year will be the most valuable
ever produced. With the wheat crop
exceeding a billion bushels, the largest
ever grown in one season by any
nation, and corn crop, which also
may prove to be the biggest ever
grown, the Governments October crop
report, just issued, announced pre-
liminary estimates which indicate rec
ord harvests of oats, barley, rye, sweet
potatoes, rice, tobacco and hay.
Corn still is king of crops. with in
dications of $685. $4,000 bushels.
While that is 9S,OOO,OOO bushels below
the record of 1912, the final produc-
ton, when the harvest is finished and
all statistics compiled, will more than
make up the difference. The higher
prices this year assured the most valu-
able corn crop ever grown. At prices
to farmers prevailing October / the
corn crop is worth $2,133, 100000
Wheat prospects improved as the
growing season progressed and the
Governments early season forecasts
moved up month by month, so that to-
days preliminary estimate of produc-
tion was placed at 1,002,O29. 900 bus
hels. Wet weather at harvest time,
however, reduced the quality of win
ter wheat, so that much of it will not
be available for milling purposes and
will have to be used for feed. At prices
prevailing October the farm value Of
the crop is $91O,844, 900, considerably
more than ever was paid for wheat
crop before.
September weather was particularly
destructive to potatoes, causing re-
duction of 37,75S 900 bushels, or 10 per
cent, in the forecast of production.
Tobacco also suffered from unfavor'
able conditions, which caused a de-
crease of 21,19O,000 pounds in the pro
duction forecast. Tobacco, however
promises to exceed the record crop OF
1909 by 100000 pounds.
Oats will exceed the record crop oi
1912 by almost 10O,OOO,OOO bushels
Barley will exceed its record by 10,
100000 bushels; sweet potatoes by 5,
100000 bushels; rice by 100000 bus
hels, and hay by 100000 tons.
Last years potato crop was esti
mated at 406 100000 bushels, and the
average at the preceding FIVE years
357 100000. The crop is seriously af
fected by blight and rot generally IL
the principal potato sections east o
the Mississippi river. Not only will
the crop be short, but the keeping
: qualities probably poor.
"The barley crop, like the othe
small-grain crops and wheat and oats
/ has overrun early forecasts of produc
: tion and exceeds that of any previous
r barley crop, the estimate being 237
/ 100000 bushels, which compares witt
+ last years estimate of 1876 900 900 ant
( the average of the preceding five year
Q of 182,000,000. The quality is YER
/ good for feeding purposes, being plum
C and heavy, but much has been badl
stained by rains after harvest, reduC
ing the quality for mailing.
1.-THE apple crop forecast is 1852
9 900 barrels (three bushels), which 1
4S3,000 barrels larger than the Sci
:, tember 1 forecast, but 12,768,OOO bal
rels less than last years estimate G
production. This estimate refers t
total farm production Census basis,
only portion of which represents tn
so-called commercial crop.