OCR Text |
Show CONDITION OF CROPS. The Continental and Commercial National Bank of Chicago is compiling its annual crop and business report of the United States. . The report which is looked forward to by men in all walks of life, is conservative and yet most cheering. In part the report is as follows: Nature has not been prodigal in her yields of grains, forage, vegetables veg-etables and fruits, but has given us harvests this year ample for the requirements of the country, without exhausting the supplies from former harvests. The year has been unpropitious at times, and, as usual, captious in localities. While the Southwest suffered discomfort discom-fort in small yields on account of the drouth last season, the Northwest North-west has boen the sufferer this season. The winter rigors greatly reduced re-duced the increased acreage in the winter wheat section, but the yield of the remainder was far above the average, and what at one time promised to be a calamitous wheat, crop ended in a generous ono in this variety of the chief breadstuff. The spring wheat crop has been cut short through the disastrous drouth of North Dakota and portions of other states, but on the whole the total wheat outturn exceeds the demand for bread and seed. The freakish warmth of the early spring, which caused a vigorous growth of wheat and oats, induced earlier corn planting. The long cold period that settled over the continent in the month of May and a portion of June caused frequent replanting of the corn, and for a while made a gloomy outlook. But the big portion of the belt recovered recov-ered quickly, while the western section passed through a dry season, and when despair of making a crop was setting in, timely rains and cooler weather came to the relief of the stricken section and this great cereal, upon which so much of the nation's prosperity and support depends, promises an excellent yield. Our reports indicate a total wheat crop of 657,000,000 bushels, or 80.000,000 bushels les3 than last year's record production, but equal to a ten year's average production. Corn promises a yield of 3,000,000,-000 3,000,000,-000 bushels, or 225,000,000 bushels above the previous season and 25 per cent over a ten year's average crop. The oats yield will exceed last year's excellent production with a total of 1,071,000,000 bushels, 200,000,000 bushels over the ten-year averago. Earley will equal last year's crop of 128,000,000 bushels, and rye v.ill exceed the previous season, being 31.500.000 bushels, comparing with 30,000.000 bushels. The total production of these grains as reported to us, is 4,S03,000,000 bushels, while the ten-year average is 4.431,000.000 busheh. Cotton condition indicates a crop of 11,000,000 bales, or 700,000 bales above last year. Agricultural investment and energy is well repaid, for seldom has a year of such changeable conditions resulted in so large a production of foodstuffs. The farmer has cause for rejoicing, and the nation for thanksgiving, that its material affairs will be preserved and expanded through the sufficiency of its food supplies. There has been a small shortage of hay over most of the country, but this great forage crop is up to the average of 60,000,000 tons and the supplies from former .years are estimated as equal to a full year's demand. It is one crop that is stored on the farm from year to year to provide against contingency of a short growth. The cold weather in the later spring and early summer, which made the great wheat yields, cut off the hay crop and later tho West was held back by the drouth, and the Northwest lost its crop almost entirely. j |