Missouri Crop Eevieiv. 459 



last plowing, yet tliere was then about two per cent, of the crop to be 

 planted. The first half of June was very wet in most sections of the 

 State, except in tlie northwest part, where there was lack of rainfall 

 throughout the season, resulting in a com yield considerably below the 

 average usually made by the counties covered. Much corn in many 

 parts of the State was "laid by" in poor condition, owing to excessive 

 rains or hard winds whicb blew down the corn. August rainfall, while 

 poorly distributed, was generally sufficient to meet the needs of growing 

 com, so that there was but little loss from drouth. On October 1 it was 

 estimated that only 70.6 per cent, of tlie corn crop was safe from frost, 

 as compared with 90.8 one year before. Fortunately, the first killing 

 frost carne very late, allowing time for all except the very late planted 

 corn to mature nicely. 



The 1910 com acreage is placed at 7,795,786, an acreage never ex- 

 ceeded in the history of the State. Two causes are largely responsible 

 for the immense number of acres harvested. Practically no corn was 

 lost by overflows in the river bottoms or their tributaries, while in other 

 years millions of acres of corn had been lost in this way. The other 

 item of increased acreage comes in wheat ground plowed up last spring 

 and planted to com. 



It is gratifying to note that Missouri has increased her corn yield 

 per capita from 59 bushels in 1900, to 72.5 bushels in 1910, a gain of 

 13.5 bushels in a single decade. 



The farm price of corn in Missouri this year is given as 42.7 cents, 

 or 15.4 cents less than last year, when it was 58.1 cents. As a result of 

 this decidedly lower price the total estimated value of this year's corn 

 crop is only $107,919,354, or approximately seven million dollars less 

 than last year. 



The quality of this year's corn crop is placed at 89 for the State. 

 While the quality is generally good, there is considerable complaint of 

 soft and poorly matured com in limited districts. 



The leading county in the State, in point of yield per acre, is St. 

 Charles, with 46 bushels. Other leading counties, by crop division sec- 

 tions are as follows: Northeast, St. Charles, with Marion, 45, second; 

 Northwest, Lafayette and Platte, 37 each ; Central, Cole, 40 ; Southwest, 

 Christian and Greene, 36 each; Southeast, Franklin, 43. Saline is the 

 leading corn county of the State in total number of bushels produced, 

 its estimated yield being 6.838,092 bushels. Other leading counties, by 

 sections, are : Northeast, Audrain, 4,645,728 ; Northwest, Nodaway, with 

 6,374,754 bushels, and Atchison with 5,663,936 : Central, Saline, 6,838,- 

 092; Southwest, Vernon, 3,864,550; Southeast, Franklin, 1.882,530. 



A comparison of the corn crops for the years 1909 and 1910 shows 

 the following: 



