Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1908 — GRAIN CROPS SHORT, BUT WORTH FAR MORE [ARTICLE]

GRAIN CROPS SHORT, BUT WORTH FAR MORE

Government Final Estimate Shows Gfsfit Decline in Cereal Production. ; . i ' ! v< ; PRICES MAKE FARMERS HAPPY. They Will Get Half a Billion -of Dollars More This Year thfiii Liuft. ’' * ’ -Y'-rw— r.~~ * Tjfc r -~rT-~r". The government report ‘shows a shortage of 785,987,000 bushels in total crops as compared with the crops <Jf 1900, which were the largest ever raised in this country, and a shortage of 377,287,000 bushels as compared with the yields of 1905, which were also very large, The ' chief shortage is in thg * corn crop, with 335,000,000 bushdls, oats with 211,000,000 bushels and Wheat with'lo1 ,000,000 bushels. There is something of an offset to the big losses in the feeding grains In the increase of 0,431,000 tons -of hay as compared to that of 1.906, and of 3,045,388 tons as compared, to the crop of 1905. Prominent features of the final revision of its crop estimates for the year by the Department of Agriculture were the increases made in the reports of area seeded to spring wheat, corn and oats. In each of these particulars as well as in the estimated weight of spring wheat and oats the official reports. ran more or less counter to the general Impressions of speculators. In a few instances, such as the weight of oats, the figures given were at variance with all the experiences of the trade for the year to date. Figure* of the Report. The report gave final estimates of acreage, production and value of farm crops, showing winter wheat acreage to be 28,132,000, production 409,442,000 bushels and value per bushel 88.2 cents. Spring wheat acreage was 17,079,000,

production 224,645,000 bushels and value 86 cents. _ Corn acreage was 99.931,000, production 2,592,320,000 bushels and value 51.7 cents. Oats acreage was 31,837,000, production 754,443,000 bushels and value 44.3 cents. It was announced .that the total value of the farm crops for 1907 was $3,404,000,000, an increase of $428,000,000 for 1906. :_t 1_ . The farm value on Dec, 1 of the four crops already mentioned follows: Corn, $1,340,446,000; winter Wheat, $361,217,;, 000; spring wheat, $193,220,000; oats, $334,568,000. The comparative prices for the grain cr%ps for the past three years follow: 1907. 1906. 1005. 1904. Wheat ~.*.81.7 66.7 74.8 92.4 Corn 51.7 89.9 41.2 4-1.1 Oats 44.3 81.7 29.1 31.3 Rye 73.1 58.9 60.7 68.8 Barley ~..44.3 41.5 40.8 42.0 Buckwheat 69.8 SS.Q 58.7 62.2 Flax 95.6 101.8 95.0 09.3 Potatoes ....01-7 51,1 61.7 . 45.3 Hay ....$11.68 $10.37 $8.52 $8.72