MISSOURI CROP REVIEW FOR 1908. 



The weather conditions for Missouri, during the year 1908, 

 v^ere somewhat unusual, and because of that fact the crops pro- 

 duced were not large. The season, taken as a whole, was very 

 similar to that of the preceding year, and excessive rains during 

 the cultivating season prevented the proper cultivation of crops, 

 destroyed more or less wheat, and greatly reduced the profits of the 

 farmers. However, farm prices were generally higher than for 

 the previous year, particularly for corn. Taken as a whole, the 

 result of the year's work among the farmers was satisfactory. 



Corn. The season of 1908 opened up very auspiciously for a 

 large acreage of corn, but later on, excessive rains and overflows 

 reduced the acreage to 89 per cent of the previous year. Practical- 

 ly all of the bottom lands along the Missouri and Mississippi river.5 

 and many of the smaller rivers of the State, were overflowed in 

 June, and the corn crop destroyed. Some of this land was re- 

 planted later, but much of this late corn did not produce merchant- 

 able corn. The average yield per acre, as given in our corrected 

 returns, is 26 bushels as compared with an average yield one year 

 ago of 32.7 bushels. The greatest falling off in yield this year 

 is in the northwest section, and it should be noted that that is the 

 best corn section of the State. The yield in that section this year, 

 i+ will be noted, is only 29 bushels as compared with a yield of 

 39.5 bushels last year. The southwest section shows practically 

 the same yield per acre as last year, but a large reduction in acre- 



age. 



The quality of the corn, this year, is 81, as compared with 

 86 for 1907. The quality was afi'ected more by reason of the fact 

 that much of the corn was planted very late and did not have time 

 to mature good, sound corn. The farm price, it should be noted, 

 is not always fixed by the price of corn in the large markets but is 

 governed largely by local conditions. The farm price this year 

 ranged usually from 50 to 60 cents per bushel. In a number of 

 localities, the price ran as high as 75 cents. The average farm 

 price on December 1st, as given by all of our correspondents, was 

 56 cents per bushel. 



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