Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1889 — CORN IS KING. [ARTICLE]

CORN IS KING.

“Our” corn erop just gathered never before yielded such a bountiful harvest. Nearly two billions of bushels were raised on 75.567 276 acres of the finest land in the world, which will bring “us” in nearly seven hundred millions of dollars. Tbe train that woqld be required to bring this immense amount to the seaboard would be 3,00u,(M>0 cars, loaded with 662 bushels each, and nearly 611,0001 locomotives, an** would,, reach more than around the worlij, Bo'_ heavily loaded a train travels slowly, and would require a whole year to pass through Chicago. .For hours the express train whirls past a green ocean of corn, wherein not a hill is missing. Its towering stalks would afford secure amnush for an army of 1,« 00.000 men, mounted and foot, artillery,ambulances, mule trains and stragglers. ihe present price of corn is below what it costs to put it in the farmers* cribs and if tbe life is thus to be pounded ont of it and no relief comes, the farmers must let their lands return to grass and their only hope lies in an increased export demand. According to the State Agricultural report, lowa is the banner State for corn, last year having raised on 7 787,090 acres a total product of 321,620,962 bushels. The average price paid is only 23 cents per bushel, commercial value of crop, $73 974,891. This is almost equal to the value of all the goldj silver and lead mined in the United States in 1888 which was $87,535,000. It is almost a larger sum all the railroads in the United States, paid in dividends on s ocks in that year. It is $8 000.' 00 more than ths total net earnings oi all the National banks in America and is considerable more than tbe total dividends paid by those banks in 1887. It. gives to every man, woman and child in the State, after reserving seed for 8.000,010 acres, nearly 12,000 bushels or six tons bf corn. From the official returns of tbe lowa Agricultural Society, the yield of the corn States is as follows: States. Acres. Bushels. lowa ,7,797,090 321,629.968 111in0i57,047,813 277.726;451 Indiana-,419,577 128,436,284 KansAs 5,574,465 168,754,047 Missouri 6,447,165 210.832, <94 Nebraska2,Bo4,2l6 84,1 6,352 0hi0...,, 90,423,821 Total for the seve n States 1,281,919,34*