The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-07-17

| now until the crops nave malureu,
Iowa will have heavy increase IN
her crops. Heavier than she has ever
produced before.
| Iowa crops will bring S677, 100000
! this year If indications do not go
amiss. This will be an increase OF
more than $SO,000,000 over last year
and nearly s304.232 900 over the
average for the last ten years.
| Live stock, dairy, poultry and honey
production of the state are taken in
! to consideration.
Add to this some 40.Ooo,00 quarts
of canned stuff worth $4,000 900 as
the bit donated by the Iowa house
wives which is really a war food con-
tribution, since it releases other food
export and this gives fair idea OF
the states food production activity.
| Iowa's largest increase this year
will come in corn, oats, potatoes and
garden crops. Under favorable
weather conditions she should pro-
duce 400,00O,000 bushels of corn or an
| increase of 54,000,O00 bushels over
last year; 2OO.OO0.00O bushels of cats
and 100000 bushels of potatoes.
There will be a decrease in winter
| wheat, hay and alfalfa crops.
| The acreage of corn planted this
year is 10,242.00O or 1,04S.OOO more
than last year. The condition of the
crop is per cent better than at July
| l last year. So with favorable wealth
er conditions a 400,O00,0OO bushels
crop is assured.
Conditions and prospects are favor
liable for bumper crop Of oats Rust
is practically absent tits year, say
Ames authorities, and at present the
oat crop stands per cent above
that of last year. With an increased
acreage of 10000 acres this means
at least a 200,00O,0OO bushels of oats
and 100000 bushels Of potatoes.
There will be decrease in winter
wheat, hay and alfalfa crops.
| Potatoes and garden crops will
probably show the heaviest increase.
| Reports reaching here today indicate
| the potatoes crop has increased at
least 1000 acres of last year An
increase Of more than 100000 bush
els over last year are almost as
sured. Present indications are that
the 'spuds" crop this year will run
above the ten million mark
An increase of three hundred per
cent in garden acreage is indicated
throughout the state in reports gath
cred by the Iowa state college experts
here.
Forty thousand persons in the
three groups of volunteer food pro-
ducers, boys and girls clubs, and
high schools, have planted garden
this year. This is but small frac-
ton of the number of gardens in the
state. OF the total $4,000 are voIun-
teer food producers, 1900 are mem
bers of boys and girls clubs and 49,
600 represent gardeners from about
half the high schools in the state.
The positive indication of a 80 per
cent garden increase lies in the fact
that 5000 OF the LOCO boys and
girls club members are planting a
garden for the first time; practically
every one Of the II 900 volunteer food
producers are garden beginners and
at least $4,000 of the $4,000 high
school students have never ever had
a garden before.
Iowa is literally sprinkled with
top notch gardens says R. X. Bliss.
head Of the agricultural extension
department at Iowa state college who
has spent much time lately both in
and out OF the state travelling. I'm
no state that / have been in have II
seen SO many really first class gard
ems" he says.
Des Moines authorities estimate
that there will be 400 per cent In
crease In the garden acreage of that
city. In Fit. Dodge 500 school chill
dren are cultivating gardens alone
Present indications are that Iowa
farmers will put up at least billion
additional pounds of silage This is
made possible by the five thousand
new silos erected in the state during
the summer. Practically thirty per
cent OF the feeding value Of the corn
crop is lost if it is allowed to stand in
the fields This means that thirty per
cent of the billion pounds will be
gain. The silage this year will carry
at least million head of beef cattle
through a hundred day feeding per-
iod.
An increased crop of spring wheat, |
rye, flax and fruit also is looked for, !
but the weather man must do his !!
share. He must hand out the best |
weather he has in stock. The crop
of summer and fall apples will be
heavy. The extension service officials !
say the winter crop will be normal. |
The fruit crop as 1t stands today is |
one per cent better than it was at the |
same time last year. The small fruit |
crop will be short about twenty per
cent and the apple crop that per cent
larger.
Hundreds of thousands of Iowans
have been stirred to action through /,
the extension bureaus campaign |
which included demonstrations, the /
mailing of literature to practically |
every producer and consumer in the |
state and through the work of the |
agents and the newspapers !,
everywhere thrift gardens !
have sprung up. Their crops will be |
harvested by persons who never be- |
fore have held a hoe and who In some |