Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1916 — GREAT CORN LOSS IN MID-WEST PREDICTED [ARTICLE]

GREAT CORN LOSS IN MID-WEST PREDICTED

Farmers of Indiana and Adjoining States In For Big Damage*, As Warm Weather May Ruin. Chicago, Feb. 22.—A loss of many millions of dollars in corn is threatening the farmers of the northern corn belt, comprising the states of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, lowa, South Dakota and portions of Nebraska and Kansas, according to reports that are current at the board of trade. Millions of acres of corn which failed to ripen properly because of the‘wet weather of the summer were nipped by the frost before hardening. The com remained in a soft condition through the winter and now the impending warm weather threatens to ruin it before it can be shipped to market. A serious car shortage throughout the entire west increases the probability of a great loss. Thousands of freight cars belonging to the western roads are tied up in the eastern seaport congestion, and the eastern railroads are compelled to use them for storage purposes until foreign ports can be cleared. Elevator men in the west consider the condition so precarious that they are testing every wagon load of com brought in, according to reports. The price paid to farmers in lowa varies from S 5 to 50 cents a, bushel, according to the wagon load. Where good com normally tests 13 per cent moisture, some of it now runs to 50 per cent moisture.