Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-09
CROPS NOT UP TO
USUAL MARK SAYS
FEDERAL REPORT
WINTER WHEAT IN POOR CONOl-
TION AND YIELD IS FAR
FROM RECORD.

Washington, d. c., May S.-The win
ter wheat crop this year promises to
yield 499 9,2S0,000 bushels, the depart
ment Of agriculture announced today,
basing Its forecast on the condition OF
the crop May /. The output will prob
ably be above or below those figures,
according to the change In conditions
from now until time Of harvest. To
days forecast compares with $685.
045, 900 bushels harvested last year,
the greatest winter wheat crop ever
gathered in this country, and with q
forecast of 540,O0O,000 bushels made
last December before the crop entered
the winter from which it emerged In
rather poor condition, showing de-
cline of 9.4 points compared with the
ten year average decline Of 3.5 points.
On the crops condition April 1 a fore
cast Of 495,O00,000 bushels was made
by the bureau of crop estimates, as
Stunning average abandonment OF
acreage and average influences on the
crop to harvest time.
The area Of winter wheat to be har-
vested is estimated at about 33,020,-
900 acres as result of the May can
vass. The area planted last fall was
37,256,000 acres, decrease of 4,756,-
600 acres from the record area of the
1915 crop and compares with yearly
average Of 32,088, 900 acres In the pre-
ceding five years.
The condition Of winter wheat on
May was 82.4 per cent of normal,
compared with 1873 on April 1 last,
92.9 on May last year and SIS, the
ten year May 1 average. That condi-
ton Is indicative of yield Of 15.1
bushels an acre, compared with 1872
bushels harvested last year and 1910
bushels In 1914.
The large reduction In acreage sown
last fall was attributed partly to un-
favorable weather for seeding, tangled
condition of much corn land which
otherwise would have been sown to
wheat, some fear Of the Hessian fly
and to large supplies of wheat on
hand.
A wet, cold fall, causing poor seed
beds and poor start for wintering re-
suited in low condition this spring.
Much Of the crop was sOwn late and
the Hessian fly was reported present
and active in many sections Of the
southern part OF the winter wheat belt
Climatic conditions were harder on
late sown, the winter covering was
lighter than usual and the injury from
freezing and thawing greater than in
previous years.
Other details of the May report
show:
Rye-Condition 1877 per cent Of nor
NAL compared with 87.S on April 1
last, 1913 on May l last year and 90.6
the ten year May average.
Meadow (hay lands)-Condition
1874 per cent of normal, compared
with 1913 on May last year and 1873
the ten year May average.
Hay-Stocks OF hay on farms May
/ are estimated at 11,049,0O0 tons, or
1870 per cent Of last years crop,
against S,468, 900 tons, or 12.1 per cent
on May 1 last year, and 100000 tons
or 12.1 per cent the Ave year May /
average.
Pastures Condition S5.2 per cent of
a normal, against 872 on May 1 last
year and $50 the ten year May aver
age.
Spring plowing was 7O4 per cent
completed up to May 1, compared with
1873 on May 1 last year and 68.6 the
ten year May 1 average.
Spring planting was 56.7 per cent
completed up to May compared with
65.3 on May 1 last year and $50 the
ten year May 1 average.