The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-14

game of the season on Dudley field
 seemed almost as though the entire
 northern half of Ohio were a great corr field and the innumerable stacks oi corn, suggesting by their shape the
 wigwams of the Indians, were of them
 tude of the harvest
 From Illinois similar reports were
 brought and also from some of the large corn-g gro wing belts of the south. There fore, business men in this city who
 heard these reports were ready to &C., cept as accurate the statement which came from the department of agricul- ture a day or two ago which gives an estimate of the total number of bush- els of Indian corn-sharvested this year. In round numbers there were 3.191, GOO, 900 bushels of corn harvested. much, but not all, of it of excellent quality. This record, which is a new one when set in comparison with the record made last year., tells impressively the story of the effect of climatic conditions upon corn and other grain harvests. For in 1916 the farmers garnered 610,00000O bushels less of Indian corn than they harvested in the autumn of this year. Climatic conditions especially in the northwest were in 1916 unfavorable and had it not been for an increase in the harvest of corn in the southern states. the aggregate amount harvested in 1916 would have been considerably less than the actual figure.
 The department of agriculture, depart
 ing little from it's custom of publish ing very dry statistics, apparently felt that it could give better understand : ing to the people of the meaning of this great harvest as compared with the har- vest of 1916, if it were announced that the increase is equivalent to almost six bushels for every person in the United States.
 CORN AND WHEAT HARVESTS
 It is curious fact that it frequently happens that when the farmers are suc- cessful in coaxing a very large amount of Indian corn from the soil other farmers who harvest wheat, arc com peled to contemplate a falling off in their product as compared with other years.
 On the other hand, it often happens that when a very great wheat harvest is garnered there is falling off Dn the harvest, of corn. This may be in part explained by the statement that the farmers devote more att tention to the cultivation of wheat than of corn and in other years are more occupied with culttvating corn. But this is regarded as only partially ex- plaining the difference. It is chiefly due to climatic conditions. But the az riculturaI area of this country is now so enormous-so that agriculture reach es from the almost sub-arctic to the almost sub-tropical parallels-that it is inconceivabie that bad weather will so prevail over the entire agricultural rec gions as to cause great depreciation in the harvest of food products. J
 THE STORY OF WHEAT
 Although the harvest of wheat was disappointing, the disappointment being due entirely to unfavorable climate, es- pecially in the northwest, nevertheless the wheat that has been harvested is reported by the department of agricul- ture to be of very fine quality. Inti- nations came to New York some weeks ago that notwithstanding the falling off in the wheat production the grain that was harvested was probably of bet from the wheat belts. The quality of the wheat harvested this year is con- siderably better than the average for the 10 years preceding 1917.
 That seems to be queer report; queer in the sense that while wheat depreciated in quantity, it appreciated splendidly in quality. The results are regarded as justifying the view that if weather conditions are not bad and if there be increased acreage put to wheat cultivation in 1918, then 1t will be req sonable to count upon a harvest of at least 10o0,000000 bushels and also a very fine quality of wheat.
 TROUBLE WITH POTATOES
 Wheat of the finest quality although of diminished amount has been har- vested this year. while on tho other hand, the yield of potatoes is the great. est, measured by bushels. ever secured. and yet 1t is impaired by the poor ,qual~ ity of many of the potatoes. The3e will be on hand in the markets about 440.- OOc 900 bushels of potatoes, or approxi- mately 30O.000,000 more bushels than the harvest in 1916.
 If only the quality of the potatoes could be compared favorably with the template a harvest of potatoes lnagnift- cent. both in quantity and quality There are some exceptions which have been observed in New York stata re- garding the quality of potatoes. Thpse which werA raised from Maine seed hoe tatoes which were cultivated by farnt CTS who are experts in that vocation, yielded not only very great increase, but also a quality unsurpassed in any potatoes that heretofore have come to this market.
 The corn harvest is so great that it will go long way towards supplement- ing or taking place Of wheat for domes- tic consumption.