Evening star., 1925-08-26
FARMING BOOMING
IN MIDDLE WEST
Bumper Crops and Better
Financial Conditions are
Reported Throughout.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. August 26.-Two words
beginning with E. better and bumper,
were the predominant note of reports
from agriculture throughout the Mid
die West today.
Several sections reported bumper
crops. many reported better crops,
and all heard from reported better
prices for farm products, but the high
note was the report of better ''finan-
cial conditions" which came from COM
munities where early freeze and later
drought severely damaged crops. In
those sections the farmers faced their
ancient field enemies buoyed up by
the prospect that better prices and
better business conditions would more
or less offset the damage of Nature.
Statistics compiled by the National
Bank of Commerce of St. Louis
stated that while three years ago a
given quantity of farm products, when
exchanged for industrial goods. was
worth only 6S per cent of its 1913
exchange value. now its worth was 81
per cent. William McMartin, chair
man of the board of the Federal Re
serve Bank of St. Louis. said there
is increased purchasing power in the
country, due to large crops and higher
prices.
OPTIMISTIC III michigan.
Optimistic reports on crop conditions
In Michigan were made by Verne h
Church. Federal statistician. and l..
". Whitney Watkins, state agri-
cultural commissioner. Wheat, rye
barley and oats were reported yield
ing better than expected. Corn was
rated at S5 per cent, potatoes normal
beans IS per cent and sugar beets
81 per cent. An apple crop of $685.
600 bushels was predicted. The peach
Scrop was short.
The Ohio farmers position was re-
garded as the most favorable since
1918. c. ]. West. State Federal agri-
cultural statistician, said there is not
an important crop failure III Ohio, and
that, prices in all commodities are
average or better. Live stock produc'
tion is under last year. but west
said better prices are expected TO put
more money in stockmen pockets
4 bumper corn crop in southern ONO
was predicted by j. G. Stock of the
United States Department OF Agr
culture.
Liquidation of many frozen loans
in country banks of Indiana was fore
cast by Evans Woollen, president OF
tthe Fletcher Savings and Trust Co
of Indianapolis. This he attributed
to the best corn crop in several years
=
spite Spring freeze and later drought
Corn Crop Is Record.
Everett C. Brown, president of the
Chicago Live Stock Exchange, after
a three.week trip in the Western farm
inG country. said this years corn crop
was the biggest ever raised.
Better crops than for years,ln quail
itv and quantity, were reported Tor
Wisconsin. and in Minnesota both
grain and live stock marketing snow
ed increases over year ago.
A bumper crop OF small grain and
corn production above the average
were predicted in Iowa. Charles u.
Reed. director of the Iowa Weather
and Crop Reporting Service. predicted
a crop avera ge of 400 bushels per acre
with an increase in production OF
about 145 900 bushels over last
year. or a total of almost 100000 600
bushels.
In Nebraska statisticians said there
was a possibility of exceeding last
wears corn crop of o03 900 900 bushels.
Although Kansas harvested one of
it's smallest wheat crops. about $4,000
900 bushels. better prices were eX-
pected to compensate partly. Corn was
estimated at little over 100, 900 900
bushels. J. {. Mohler, secretary of
the Kansas State Board of A-ricul-
ture. said the Kansas live stock idus-
try is sounder than at any time since
1921.
Bank Conditions Good.
Oklahoma sang a song of cotton o.
&. Motherhood. State banking com
missioner. said: THE condition of
State ba nl<S iS far better than in ma nv