IOWA. 



449 



This shows an average increase in these class- 

 es of the standard stocks of 10 per cent, per an- 

 num. But the following table shows a gradual 

 decrease in value per head for the entire eleven 

 years : 



It seems that the diseases of swine, the chief 

 of which is called hog cholera, have been very 

 destructive in the State. The loss has been 

 estimated in the aggregate at $6,500,000. 



The State Auditors of several States report 

 the number of swine assessed for 1878 as fol- 

 lows : 



Iowa yields the first place to Illinois, and 

 takes the third in rank, on swine. 



In 1877 about $20,000,000 was lost to breed- 

 ers and farmers through hog-cholera, of which 

 Iowa contributed nearly $3,500,000. There is 

 but little abatement of the disease. The hogs 

 packed in Iowa in 1876-'77 amounted to 419,- 

 442; in 1877-'78 to 486,850. 



The number of sheep in Iowa in 1867 was 

 1,598,226; 1875, 724,204 ;'l877, 318,439 ; 1878, 

 288,228 a decrease from 1867 of 1,309,998, 

 directly attributable to dogs. 



The oat crop was of fine quality and large 

 in quantity ; but damaging storms came and 

 largely reduced it when nearly ready for har- 

 vest. In 1877 the area was 1,100,000 acres; 

 the product 46,750,000 bushels. For 1878 

 eight counties report an average yield of 39 

 bushels per acre, which will give, with the 

 area of 1877, a product of 43,450,000 bushels, 

 a decrease from 1877 of 3,300,000 bushels. 

 The average price was 13 cts. per bushel, a 

 VOL. xvni. 29 A 



decrease of 6 cts. Sixty-five per cent, will be 

 required for home consumption, which leaves 

 15,207,000 bushels for export, producing a 

 revenue of $1,976,975. 



Barley is the most uncertain of all cereals 

 in Iowa. The crop, which promised well early 

 in the season, with extraordinary yield, was, 

 by bad weather in June, largely decreased in 

 quantity and quality. The aggregate yield was 

 5,400,000 bushels, valued at $1,940,000. The 

 highest price paid was 80 cts., the lowest 11 

 cts. Average yield, 27 bushels per acre. 



Rye is well adapted to Iowa, and seldom 

 fails. With all the unfavorable weather for 

 the season, the product was but little affected. 

 The area is placed at 43,000 acres ; yield, 903,- 

 000 bushels ; value, $307,020. Average yield, 

 21 bushels per acre; average price paid, 34 

 cts. Highest price, 75 cts. ; lowest, 25 cts. 

 Highest yield, 40 bushels ; lowest, 8 bushels. 



The average area devoted to flax was 72,984 

 acres; the product was 529,836 bushels cf 

 seed, amounting at $1.25 to $662,295. 



It is estimated that 5,100,000 acres were 

 planted in corn in the State during the year. 

 The reports of 84 counties give an average 

 yield of 40 bushels per acre, making a total 

 product of 204,000,000 bushels, being an in- 

 crease of 20,000,000 over the crop of 1877. 

 The surplus is estimated at 24,000,000 bushels, 

 which at 17 cts. per bushel would bring $4,- 

 080,000. 



The area of wheat sown was 3,250,000 acres, 

 as against 3,220,000 in 1877. The intense heat 

 of July 12th greatly injured the wheat crop of 

 the State ; yet even with this depreciation it 

 surpasses that of any other State. Thus there 

 was a depreciation in quality and a difference 

 in price. Of the 84 counties reporting, only 8 

 reported the quality good. The average price 

 was 50 cts., making the value of the crop $17,- 

 875,000. The surplus was 15,000,000 bushels, 

 producing an income of $7,500,000. 



The sale of short-horned cattle .for 1878 

 amounted to 722, value $171,906. 



The aggregate debts of the railroads in Iowa 

 are estimated at $64,744,418.52. Of this, $3,- 

 401,651.19 is floating and $61,342,767.33 bond- 

 ed debt, or an average of $15,574.80 per mile. 

 The stock and debt amount to $153,601, 784.47, 

 or $36,949.80 per mile. If the Iowa roads are 

 not remunerative, one reason for it is that they 

 represent largely more in capital than they 

 would had they been economically built. The 

 capital and deb* per mile of the narrow-gauge 

 roads are reported at $5,779, $8,600, $8,925, and 

 $6.748, showing a much less expenditure per 

 mile than the standard gauge. These narrow 

 gauges are, however, cheaply built and but 

 poorly furnished. The entire earnings of Iowa 

 roads were : Passengers, mail, and express, $5,- 

 173,624.02; freight and miscellaneous, $15.535,- 

 872.05 a total of $20,714,496,07. The earnings 

 from passenger trains per mile run vary from 

 $1.62 to 56 cts. The earnings from freight 

 trains per mile run vary from $3.54 to $1.09. 



