Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 188, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1911 — POOREST AVERAGE YIELD OF CROPS SINCE 1901. [ARTICLE]

POOREST AVERAGE YIELD OF CROPS SINCE 1901.

Drought and Heat Cause General Decline and Most Yields Will Be Below Average. Washington, Aug. 9.—A tremendous decline in the condition of crops, general throughout the country and traceable to drought and Intense heat,/Occurred during the last month, as Indicated by official figures and estimates made today in the monthly crop report of the Department of Agriculture. The report today is the worst, as to general crop conditions, that the department has issued for any single month since 1901. .. a ; ■ The area most seriously affected extends from New York and Pennsylvania westward to the Rocky Mountains, embracing all of the great corn, wheat and hay producing states in the country.' , Conditions in the Pacific Northwestern states are regarded as excellent, although during July that territory suffered from a brief, but excessively hot, period. The figures contained in today’s report indicates a material slump in the prospects of all crops. Corn, which at this season is the most important, declined during *the month from a condition of about 5 per cent below the average, as indicated by the July report, to nearly 15 per cent. This does not indicate, however, that the crop will not be a great one, because the acreage of corn this year is exceedingly large. .

This condition of the crop at this time indicates a yield per acre smaller than in any year since 1901, although the indicated total production has been exceeded in only five years in the history of the country. It is pointed out that the deterioration of the corn crop was checked somewhat by the rains during the latter part of July. Experts incline to the opinion that the crop may be further benefited by the generous rains of the last Week. The weather during July caused a fall in the condition of corn which indicates a loss of 336,000,000 bushels from the estimated total production of the previous month. Spring wheat fell from a condition of a month ago of 16 per cent below the average to approximately 27 per cent below the average, indicating a loss of abbut 35,286,000 bushels. The indications of the total yield of wheat per acre are the lowest since 1904. The oats crop is very short, according to the figures of today’s report. It has been smaller three times and larger seven times during the last ten years. The crop of hay probably will be the smallest in fifteen years. The total yield of potatoes indicated has been less than this year’s crop only twice in the last ten years. It is regarded as likely, however, that the late planted crop, on account of recent rains, may increase the total

estimated production. The condition this month indicates a loss of about 35,648,000 bushels from last month’s estimated yield. Corn, 2,620,221,000 bushels; winter wheat, 455,149,000 bushels; spring wheat, 209,646,000 bushels; oats, $17,800,000 bushels; barley, 139,352,000 bushels; potatoes, 249,893,000 bushels; tobacco, 600,588,000 pounds; hay. 40 r 129,000 tons.