The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-05-31
OKLAHOMA'S CROP
READY TO HARVEST
ARMY OF MEN NEEDED FOR FIF-
TY MILLION 8USHEL WHEAT
CROP AND GREATER DAT CROP

Tulsa, Okla, May SO.-lt is not
what will the harvest be" with the
farmers of Oklahoma this year, but
what won't it be- in fact from pres
ent prospects it appears as though
the husbandmen of this state will have
everything when they check up their
resources in the fall. OF course it is
rather early to figure on such crops
as corn and cotton, but conditions at
this time were never more auspicious
for these two crops.
AS for grain, Oklahoma is certain to
break all records. From one end of
the state to the other the condition
of wheat is as near perfect as could be
expected. With the acreage in round
numbers 100000 acres, and harvest
but a few days off in large portion of
the state it will take a calamity to
cheat Oklahoma out of wheat crop
that will fill granaries to Overlooking
and tax the capacity of railroads to
move it. The condition of oats is not
quite up to that of wheat as the recent
protracted cool spell sets oats back to
some extent The weather now is ideal
for oats, which with but two days of
sunshine and warmth has shown a
marked improvement in every section
of the state heard from by your cor
respondent The acreage of oats in
every county is on an average, double
that of last year.
Army of Labor Needed.
The question of labor and machines
to take care of the grain crop is wor-
rying the farmers everywhere. 1t is
a hard matter under normal conditions
to get farm help in this state, partic-
ularly in the east half where the oil
interests outbid the farmers for all
available labor The state employment
bureau, private employment bureaus
and newspapers are lending a hand
to the farmer in his effort to solve
the labor problem. Probably one out
of a half dozen farmers in the state
owns self-binder, while threshing
machines are few and far between.
Implement dealers in this section of
the state have sold more binders the
past week than in the last five years
all told, and there will be many new
threshing outfits on the job this year
Yet with all this there is a prospect
that some of the crop may be lost
because it cannot be gathered, and ii
will be well into the winter before the
last bushel of grain is threshed.
Oklahoma is now counting upon So
100000 busels of wheat and from co.
600, 900 to 75O0O,OOO bushels of oats.
Many to Hold Wheat
Oklahoma wheat will go to export
and dealers the state over will offer
export prices for the crop. Wheat is
expected to open at 70 cents and may
90 lower. In the west half of the
state, the old-time wheat belt of Okla
homa, much of the wheat will be stor
| ed and held for better prices. The
price of oats depends largely upon
the crop of Kansas, which is reported
as enormous and in good condition
The chances are oats will not com
mand over % cents bushel on the
start.
Within the last two years Oklaho
ma has doubled its acreage of alfalfa
In every county alfalfa is now being
raised successfully. Farmers have
found it one of the most profitable
crops for this state. The first cutting
of alfalfa is making an average OF
two tons to the acre.
The acreage of corn and cotton is
greatly reduced over years past, as a
luulDbT Vi par Ildl IlOp A"iANi % iiN'
taught the Oklahoma farmer the folly
of putting all of his eggs in one bas
ket. Diversified farming is being prac
ticed everywhere, the negro farmer
vieing with his white neighbor in car
rying out the instructions given him
by agricultural demonstrators. With
the cutting down of corn and cotton
has come a great increase in acreage
of forage crops, which never fail in
Oklahoma.
Thousands of silos are being added
this year and the increase in live
stock has been very noticeable. Ad
versity has taught the farmer of Okla
homa there is a way to farm to a
profit, but every section of the Union