Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1885 — THE CORN CROP. [ARTICLE]

THE CORN CROP.

Probable Yield In the Ten Leading Producing States. [Chicago special.] The com crop of the United States having passed the critical stage, and whatever of danger menaced the cereal from frosts being now ended, owing to the maturity of the grain, the Farmers' Review of this city has called in reports from its 1,400 correspondents, giving the area and probable yield in every county in the ten leading, Dorn*producing States., and has compiledfrom these/a close estimate of the approxi-. mate yield of the crop of 1885. These estimates have been based on a comparison with the yield of 1884, taking the figures of the Agricultural Bureau at Washington for the yield of last year. The reports of the correspondents include not only the approximate actual acreage, but also the percentage of condition as compared to' last year, and the percentage of increase or decrease in acreage. This was done to approximate us closely as possible to the actual output, the correctness of which method was demonstrated very fully in the estimate of the wheat crop on June 1 by this bureau, and to which figures all the recognized statisticians, including the Government bureau, have gradually approached. In Indiana, Illinois, and Kansas the ground plowed up, owing to the ruination of the winter wheat crop and devoted to corn, is closely computed. In the comparison by States the returns show that Indiana, lowa, Minnesota. and Mississippi have a slight increase in acreage over 18S4, and Wisconsin is the only State showing a decrease but both Minnesota and Wisconsin show a decrease in condition and Missouri also shows a slight decrease. The other States all reveal an improvement and in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana tne improvement is marked. This results in the following comparison by States of the probable yield in the ten States named: 1884. 1885. Bushels. Bushels. Ohio 85,333,000 131,500,000 Indiana i 04,757,000 125,708,000 Illinois 244,544,000 294,233,000 lowa 252,600,000 296,805,000 Missouri 197,860,000 189,360,000 Kansas 168,500,000 188,720,000 Nebraska. 122,100,000 137,362,000 Minnesota 23,630,000 21,148,000 Wisconsin 26,200,000 21,209.000 Michigan 26,022,000 80,185,000

Total 1,251,696,000 1,436,236,000 Excess over last year 184,640,000 On the basis that the States and Territories outside of the ten named will produce as much com as they did last year, or 543,400,000 bushels, and this would seem to be assured from a study of the reports, it will give a total crop of 1,979,636,000 bushels, from which total it is safe to estimate that, the yield will not vary in any appreciable degree either way.