Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1907 — REPORT ON THE CROPS [ARTICLE]

REPORT ON THE CROPS

AMERICA’S GRAIN VALUED AT $2,458/104,803.-"'' ’"'"’■-Uncle Sam’s Prosperity Spring;* from the Soil—Many a Dwindling Mortgage Will Be Paid Off. That the prosperity of America springs from the soil is demonstrated once more in the government estimate of the grain crops of 1907. Those figures, based on the market prices to-day, place the value of the grand total yield of wheat, corn, oats, rye and barley for the year at $2,458,004,803. Comparisons of the government estimate of this year with.the similar prediction made a year ago shows a falling off of 38,000,000 bushels out of a total of more than 4,000,000,000 bushels, but it is beljeved the difference will be more than wiped out by the higher market value of grains, leaving a clean margin of gain for the farmer in spite of the tardy spring. The government estimators have placed the probable yield of winter wheat for the current year at 374,153,000 bushels, valued at the present price of 92% cents at $345,157,987. The prediction for the yield of spring wheat is 243,667,000 bushels with a value of $224,772,807. Wheat Crop Worth $.">09,930,795. This places the total wheat/crop at 617,822,000 bushels, worth $569,930,795. The actual yield of wheat for the similar period last year was 735,261,000 bushels which, figured at the market price one year ago of 78% cents, was worth $574,422,656. Since the actual yield, however, exceeded the government estimate 27,000,000 bushels it is not unlikely that the present year may furnish a surprise fully as welcome. This is a possibility that is bringing broad smiles to the tanned faces of the farmers of the Northwest. Corn, the banner crop of the country, is equally replete with happy probabilities, and iu spite of soggy grounds and overcast thatTept the planting back this spring, the outlook is that the few slim remnants of mortgages on the homesteads throughout the great corn belt that have dwindled rapidly in the recent years of prosperity, will see their finish. While the estimate falls below the prediction made a year ago by 70,000,000 bushels out of a total of 2,500,000,000, the market price is 1% cents per bushel higher than last year at this time. The estimate on corn is a yield of 2,517,222,000 bushels, with a value, at the market price to-day, of 54% eents, of $1,362,446,407. The actual yield of last year was 2,927,000,000 bushels, valued at $1,543,500. Oats, rye and barley have suffered so tittle because of an inclement spring that the government prediction, while less than the actual yield of last year, exceeds in each instance similar estimates made a year ago, showing that the present conditions indicate a larger crop than they did then. A yield of 919,537,000 busheds of oats is predicted by the government experts for this year, which will be worth, at the present price, 43% cents, $401,148,016. Last year’s prediction was for 814,733,000 bushels, while the actual yield was 964,905,000, with a valuation of $362,694,556, the current price a yeap ago being but 38% cents a bushel. Altogether the report is considered one likely to turn the whole country to optimistic reflections.