Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-04-19
ALONG
THE MISSISSIPPI.
What the Overflow Means to
Crops Of the Adjacent
Section

Section
MEMPHIS, April 19-The. river ov.
erflow throughout the Mississippi val:
ley is worse than it has been in many
years. Days must, in fact, still pass
| before there can be a feeling. Of re-
lief to the people whose lives and pro-
perty are menaced by the mighty
sweep of the water that pours gulf
| ward from more than half Of the
United States. How long it will be
beore intelligent calculations as to
crop prospects for the season can be
made, nobody can say with certainty.
The flood is later than the average
overflow by couple of weeks or
more, and that makes it worse for
the people since it is questionable
| whether the waters will receGe into
their natural channels early enough
to enable the farmers and planters
near the river to 60 ahead at the pro-
per season and plant their crops. In
1903, the last year when there was a
serious break in the main line Of lev.
ees, the crest passed this city during
the last week In March, and n 1907,
when the next big flood came, it was
about the first of April. But the crest
has not reached here, ever at this
writing, and it is conceded by all
people who know the records in the
matter that the amount of water flew.
ing through the valley is the greatest
in history.
Already there have been four
breaks in the main line of levees
on the Arkansas side, and one en-
tire county in Tennessee is covered
with water, while the area outside
the levees all the way down the river
has been covered for weeks. A thor
ough test of the bigger levees below
here is now in progress and 1t Will
be a week or more before it can be
safely said that they will not break.
Already the flooded areas amount to
several thousand square miles, but
perhaps hardly half that much Is in
cultivation.
A more serious feature, perhaps, is
that all along the streams that empty
into the Mississippi are lowlands,
which are also covered with water
resulting from backwater and the
abundance of rainfall in their own
watersheds, it will be weeks before
the water will be back within the
channels of these streams-the time
depending on how much more rain
falls and how rapidly the snow and
| - HI
and comes down. Some apprehension
is felt lest the present high water
will last until the usual secondary
or June rise, comes, which would re-
suit in much area being kept idle
for the entire season. Such an event
uality would be extremely serious,
though it would not necessarily mean
any important reduction In the size
of the cotton crop.
Crop work is several weeks behind,
even in the upland section, and only
within the last few days has activity
attained full swing outside the flood
areas. Little corn has been planted
and the time is normally now at hand
for planting cotton. That means that
in all probability. there will be less
area to be crops than was lately con-
templated and in the hurry to get
the work done there may be neglect
of thorough preparation. In the sec
ton where the boil weevil has to be
contended with, an early start, usu-
ally regarded as most essential Is out
Of the question, though there Is some
recompense in the belief that the
pests will not be very numerous az
ten so severe winter. Banks here
report more than a normal supply of
funds on hand, but they say it is be-
cause farming operations are so far
behind and that there has not been
the usual demand for money at inter-
Tor points.
Until the river reaches its crest
and the levees are past danger OF
breaking, there will be little work
done in the areas they protect, as it
might all go for naught; and besides,
all energies will be bent in trying to
save the levees. The idea here is
therefore, that there will be a con-
siderable reduction in acreage in this
district, even without the June rise
in the river coming before the
present one passes entirely. It
is still recognized that labor condi-
lions might be such that yield will be
large, though contingent upon a late
autumn.
Ideas as to acreage for the entire
cotton belt are indefinite; 1t is impos-
sible to get intelligent Information,
though the presumption all the spring
has been that there would be import
ant reduction: Advices received here
say that planting is llate in all Of the
belt. except In Texas and, perhaps,
Oklahoma. The high cost Of every
thing will be an added inspiration to
the farmer to try to lessen his ex-
pense bills by growing more stuff at
home, for many things are regarded
| as higher. relatively, than cotton.