Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-27
CORN CROP WILL Be
BUMPER ONE; NOW
SHOOTING INTO AIR
HOT WEATHER Is IDEAL FOR
WHAT PROMISES TO BE GREAT.
Err YIELD IN HISTORY OF 10.
CAtITY.

You who sit on your front porch
tanning yourself, or bask in the
breeze Of an electric fan in your of.
fice-don't kick about the heat. It's
doing its part in Uncle Sans great
food campaign.
Reports from the agricultural dis
tricts say that the farmers are stand
ing on the back porches Of their
homes and watching the corn stalks
grow It's the heat that is needed
and corn is simply jumping into the
air Oats are ripening and the har-
vesters will be busy in earnest next
week.
This week corn was selling on the
Chicago market at $3.50 a bushel-an
unheard-of price. The old crop is so
scarce that these fabulous figures are
being paid by persons in need of the
grain. But. with a continuance of fav-
orable conditions next winter should
see the bottom knocked out of the
corn prices.
In the dispatches of yesterday came
the weekly crop report from the agri-
cultural adviser at Springfield. 1t was
most optimistic in tone and 1t gave
the ultimate consumer ray of hope
inasmuch as its every report showed
satisfactory condition.
A few of the counties in the south
ern part of the state need bit OF
rain, but the hot weather Is doing
more good just now than lot of mois
/. ture.
Back in the early spring. wien po
tatoes were retailing In the groceries
at $1.10 peck. the home gardening
movement got under way.
Acre upon acre Of spuds were plant
cd and 1t took no agricultural prophe
to predict that prices were due for al
awful slashing as soon as the new
crop was ready.
Now new potatoes are on the mar
ket and nearly every week brings al
additional reduction
Yesterday the new spuds were sell
ing at soc a peck-a reduction of 60t
peck since last spring But thu
householder who foots the bill is no
yet satisfed-5Oc a peck is too much
for this commodity, and there is ever,
reason to believe that the bumper
crop will drop the price to an ever
more satisfactory level.
The amateur gardener-by that W,
mean the fellow who took the advice
of the government last spring ant
started a gardenis happy, It's hi
, first attempt at raising vegetables AM
the season has been wonderfully fine
so that he is seeing the fruits of hi
labor virtually springing up.
| And in these days of war prices
, you can't blame this amateur for smi
ing when he can trot out to his gal
; den, dig up a mess of potatoes, pick
t painful of beans, yank off head @
, cabbage and so on down the line.
I That's the reward for the sore bac
! the amateurs carried around durin
S the spading season.
An Abundance OF Oats.
According to reports from a numbe
of farmers who live in the vicinity {
/, Ottawa indications are very favorabl
n for bumper oats crop this seasol
n One farmer reports that when e.
amined his oats he found in som
f cases that there were from rs to II
q kernels in the head of oats which b
said would indicate yield of from
q to 1T bushels per acre. Many farr
It ers say their oat prospects were nev'
a better in all their farming experient
and If the yield is anything like th
Y now indicated the farmer is certain
IS destined to experience a great era
e prosperity during the war period. f
there is sure to be an eXtraordina
II demand for oats. Eastern buyers a
Is already calling for oats and deale
ID will soon be busy in handling Il
grain, as harvest will soon be on