The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-06-25
CROPS BEST IN
HISTORY, SAYS
EXPERT RIECK
Frisco R0admaster Returns
from Trip Over Lines With
Optimistic Report.
DAMAGE FROM FLY,
SLIGHT, HE FINDS
Grain, Potatoes and Melons Will
be Plentiful in Southeast
Missouri This Year.

F. W. Rick, Frisco roadmaster, re-
turned yesterday from a tour of in
spection over his entire territory,
which extends from this city to Leach
vile, Ark.
He paid special attention to crop
conditions and when questioned con-
corning the outlook for the farmer,
said:
''The crops are all in fine condition.
And the only locality in which the
Hessian fly did any material damage
was in the clay land, and no further
south than Commerce. The rest of
the wheat is above the average, and
large acreage was planted. There
is more wheat this year than was ever
before known in that section.
"The prospects for all other crops
are equally as good as the wheat
There is an over surplus of vegetables
and the potatoes are more than dou-
BILE crop and of the highest quality.
They are now selling as cheap as so
cents a bushel, and the people operat-
ing the dredge boat at Tallipoosa have
been buying them for even less.
"Watermelons are vining fine and
are in bloom and putting on small mel
on now.
"The cantaloupes are ahead of the
season. The largest are now the size
of a baseball, and the first from that
territory will be placed on the market
in about twelve days.
Wheat harvest is finished and the
threshing machines are operating all
through that section of the couRry.
There is a splendid yield and THE
quality is of the very best.
"While there is no more than two
thirds of the usual acreage in cotton
this year, compared with previous
years, the crops are looking fine.
"The only crops damaged by high
water are those in the overflow re-
gion from the Mississippi River, in the
vicinity of Massey, about five miles
south of this city.
"The dredge boats are operating all
through the lower country, and they
are row erecting another large one
among the largest yet put into the
service, between Charter Oak and La
vale. The railroad company has just
completed spur on which to side
track cars containing the massive
pieces that are being assembled in the
erection of the dredge boat.
"The heavy increase in the wheat
acreage has forced the dealers to erect
large number of grain elevators or
warehouses along the Frisco through
the new wheat territory which is that
section between Morley and Kennett
that has recently been reclaimed by
drainage. Some of this land upon
which the finest crops were grown this
season, was a bowling wilderness less
than four years ago, and was redeem
ed by means Of drainage
"Some of the large landowners are
disposing of their land in small sec
tiOns which are being cleared and put
in cultivation in tracts ranging from
40 to 200 acres. They are selling these
lands on terms that are attractive to
homeseekers, and in the vicinity of
Mackey there has been a heavy influx
of this class of citizens during the past
few months.
"While the drainage work is not yet
completed, the majority of the small
land buyers are from territory in Hi
nois which at one time passed through
the same reclamation process as that
now being conducted in Southeast Mis-
souri,, and they realize that now is the
most opportune time to purchase, as
the price will soon be greatly advanced
when the development is completed"