Crop Beview. 459 



condition of the soil, except in a few counties in the southwestern part 

 of the State, was too wet and cold. On May 1 only 59 per cent, of the 

 land had been plowed, the delay being greatest in the northeast and 

 northwest sections. During the month of May planting progressed 

 very satisfactorily, only ten per cent, of the corn remaining unplanted 

 at the close of the month. However, hard rains in many sections had 

 washed the ground and caused a crust to form, so that it was hard for 

 the com to get through. Cool weather also gave wire worms and cut 

 worms a chance to do considerable damage. Twelve per cent, of the 

 crop had to be planted a second time. In spite of excessive rains in 

 some parts of the State, corn made a satisfactory showing during the 

 month of June. • 



On August 1 the prospect for a bumper crop, except in a number 

 of counties in the northeast and northwest sections, where the flood 

 loss was very heavy, was the best since 1902. But the flattering pros- 

 pects were not to be fully realized. A continued and wide-spread 

 drought, which prevailed throughout the State during the entire 

 month, and which was especially severe in the southwest section, doomed 

 to disappointment all who had hopes for a great yield of corn, such as 

 had l)een promised thirty days before. The condition of corn fell from 

 88 to 6G — a loss of 22 points during those thirty drought days. The 

 drought was broken over most of the State in early September, and 

 the fall season was such as to enable the corn to mature nicely. The 

 quality, though, is but 77.5, as compared with 81 in 1908. The poor 

 quality is due largely to the drought which checked the growth of the 

 corn when it was in the most critical stage — the "roasting ear period." 



At the end of the season it was seen that although Missouri had 

 lost more corn by overflows than a dozen states produce and had been 

 hurt by drought, she had still surpassed most other states. Nodaway 

 county, in the northwest section, is the banner corn producing county 

 of the State for the year 1909, its estimated yield being 6,653,778 

 bushels. The leading county in the central section is Saline, with 

 6,427,800 bushels. Johnson, with 4,002,801 bushels, leads in the south- 

 west section. Other counties producing more than four million bushels 

 of corn during the year are : Atchison, 5,765,585 ; Lafayette, 5,078,814; 

 Carroll. 4.247,308. The output of these half-dozen Missouri counties 

 for the one year is 32,176,086 bushels, or more than the combined com 

 production of eighteen states for the same period. 



The farm price of corn, as reported on December 1. ranged gen- 

 erally from 50 to 65 cents per bushel, with a State average of 58.1 

 cents — 2.1 cents above the 1908 price and 13.1 cents more than for 



