The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1915-08-30
five Big GRAIN CROPS
SURPASS FORMER YEAR

set IN, not only delayed operations,
but ,dwarfed early growth. The con-
tinuous rains of May and June. added
to the difficulties attending the care
OF the growing crop, and the mid-sum-
mer temperature, without any warm
weather except in the extreme south,
has seriously interfered with the
proper development of the plant. The
condition is excellent in the central
states, though there, are sections
where the overflow of streams caused
much injury Cultivation is not as
perfect as usual, and this may, later
on. affect the yield. In the northern
portion Of the belt, the prospects are
not very bright. and 1t will take a
long and warm autumn to mature the
crop. Our correspondents have taken
these things into consideration in
making their local estimates, and
they report the prospects Of the crop
OF 1883. .O00,0 bushels on an area OF
110,321,000 acres, which is a million
acres in excess of that reported by
the government correspondent at the
outset Of the summer. On this acre
age the estimate is for a crop Of 310,.
100000 bushels more than last year,
which would give the second largest
crop on record. The uncertainty OF
the final yield is in the weather dur.
ing the fall months.
One of the compensations of the un-
favorable climate conditions is re.
ported in the unusual amount OF ear.
ing in the good fields, two or three
ears appearing on stalk where there
usually has been one ear. The mois-
ture In the soil has given the plant
more than ordinary yigor and with a
fair amount Of sunshine from now on,
the estimated yield will be more than
fulGlled
The south has been chiefly respon.
sible for the large increase of acre.
age over last year, totalling 1000, 900,
Of which 100000 acres was contrib.
uted by the cotton states. The south
has. always been more or less corn.
growing section, and when the neces.
sity of reducing the area Of cotton be.
came apparent, it was natural that
the people should turn to the one crop
OF which they have full knowledge OF
cultivation and ample facilities for
harvesting and marketing. The crop
in that section is made, and is being
harvested. The yield in nearly every
state is up to the large average of re.
cent years, although only about half
that of the corn grown in the heavier
soils Of the north. There is only one
section complaining of drouth, cover
ing a portion of the Gulf states where
corn was hurt somewhat, but when
considered with the entire southern
crop, the injury was small. The south
adds ,125, 600, 900 bushels to her corn
crop, and is in position to market
some Of the surplus in the northern
states.
The previous two years Of small
corn production has pretty we'll clean
ed up the country's surplus supply
and the new crop at the increased vol
ume is not likely to be burdensome
Hay Crop Good.
Both the acreage and yield of hay
were larger this season than last. The
crop for two years had been badly
hurt by drouth, and supplies had been
we'll run down when the season open.
ed. The cool spring and the rains
gave a luxuriant growth the country
over, and heavy crops were harvested
in sections that rarely have a big
yield. The quality was somewhat i'm
paired by the excessive moisture and
the difficulty in curing, but the vol
ume is so large as to leave no doubt of
a surplus to be carried on the farms
The estimate is for 1887 900 tons.
comparing with 7O,O71, 900 tons last
year. The forage crops of the semi
arid regions of the west were never so
good as this year.