Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-03-23
IOWA GROWING
TOO MUCH CORN
Farm Bureau Experts Claim State
Should Take Up Other Crops,
Says State is Running Too
Much Corn
POINT TO LARGE SURPLUS
BEING HELD ON FARMS
Stocks at Present Largest Ever Car
ried at This Time of Year
Curtailment of Cattle-Feed
ing Operations Cause.


Ames, Ia.-Iowa has the largest
surplus of corn ever carried at this
time of year, conservation estimate:
placing it at 250,000,000 bushels
This is at least 1O0,O00,0O0 bushels
more than the normal carryover
based on the ten-year average. The
situation is not peculiar to Iowa
alone but prevails thruout all the
corn belt states.
Several factors have combined to
pile up this enormous carryover in
Iowa. TO begin with the state has en-
joyed two bumper crops in success
sion 473,S00, 900 bushels in 1920 and
100000 bushels in 1919. More
over these two record breakers came
on the heels of three perfectly normal
crops. The ten-year average-not
counting the crops of 1919 and 1920
was about 334 100000 bushels, and
at that everybody had corn enough
and some to spare.
Another contributing factor is the
very marked slump in cattle feeding
operations, which the Iowa Farm
Bureau Federation places at 80 per
cent below normal Many have in
sisted that it is even greater than
that.
Ordinarily 20 per cent of the crop
goes to market and finds its way into
the world channels of trade, while
the balance is consumed in the feed
lots. This year, however, owing to
the low price offered during the fall
aa.d winter the markct-guirrg ~ol.aae
has been far below normal. Probably
not more than half the usual amount
has been sold. So, regarded from any
angle it is safe to assert that not less
than 350,000,O00 bushels of the 1920
crop remain in the cribs.
1t has been apparent for some time
that Iowa is drifting too optimistic
ally to corn, say bureau officials.
There was a reason for it, of course
in the expansion of the cattle feed
ing industry. Last year 10,300,000
acres were planted in corn. That is
about so per cent of the total area OF
farm land in the state, and 100000
acres more than was given over to
corn in 1910. Taking the twenty-five
average yield per acre, which is 3e
bushels, it means a normal increase
of 72,000,000 bushels a year. About
SO per cent of this increased acre.
age appears to have been made al
the expense of tame hay land, while
the balance has come from natural
development in bringing new LAND
utdel cultivation.
Iowa is conceded to be the leading
agricultural state. This position ha.
been achieved largely th,l scientific
rotation of crops that tend to renew
wornour lands and conserre soil fer
Utility and natural resources. Glover
ha, I'layed an important part. Blu
tie last four or five years, perhap.
or account of conditions growing ou
of the world war, clover crops hay,
not received the consideration form
erly given.
Plainly Iowa is runniag too mucl
to corn. The above figures, consid
cred in relation to local conditions
everywhere, will lead to the conclus
ion that it is time to get back TO TIL.
normal routine of crop rotation vital
ly necessary to permanent farming
policy of the sort likely to equaliz'
production and demand.