Fergus County Democrat., 1916-05-11
HALF BILLION BUSHELS OF WINTER
WHEAT FORECAST FOR YEAR 1876

WASHINGTON, May s.-A!most
nan billion bushels is the winter
wheat harvest forecast for this year
by the department Of agriculture in
Us May crop report. That is 1861
100000 bushels less than harvested
last year, when a worlds record crop
was gathered in the United States,
but the crop this year is growing on
Il much smaller acreage. In all
! 4.236,oo0 acres were abandoned, and
leaving for harvest 33,030, 900 acres,
which is 7,433, 200 acres less than the
harvest last year
The heaviest abandonment occur
red the department reported, Fin
the important group Of winter wheat
states extending from Ohio through
Indiana to Illinois, where it reached
ITS maximum intensity and through
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Mis-,
souri,, ranging from is per cent in
Ohio and Iowa to 33 per cent in II,
linois.
'Sleet and storms in January, fol
lowed by severe cold weather formed
an ice sheet that remained in many
sections until April, killing much of
the wheat growth, and a cold, dry
spring over the western part of these
states gave little assistance to the
plant in overcoming its earlier handi.
caps.
The activity of the green bug dur.
ing tie winter in Texas, with a Sc.
we're winter drought, caused an aban.
donment of 33 per cent OF the sown
acreage in that state. In Montana
"a n :l.,
10 those in the central states caused
loss OF p and 20 per cent, respec-
abandonment of 20 per cent.
Present conditions of growth are
noorest III the central group of states,
where winter killing was most Sc.
we're, the conditions ranging from 23
per cent below the 10-year average
condition at this season in Illinois.
/ down TO 10 per cent below in Iowa
| In Montana and Washington the con-
dltion is per cent below the 10,
year average. Elsewhere abandon,
donment is slightly greater and con.
ditions poorer than usual, except that
! in Nebraska and Kansas and a few
! other important wheat states, it is
trifle better than usual.
The Atlantic coast crop is gen
orally fair to good The increase
over the condition figure of 7SS per
! cent last month is due partly to the
elimination of the abandoned acre
age from consideration in determin-
ing the present condition.
The Hessian fly reported as ac
tive in many sections last fall il not
seemingly SO much in evidence, al
though reported from scattered To-
calities, particularly in central Kan
sas
Acreage abandonment in the east
central states would have been prob
ably somewhat greater except that
weather conditions interferred with
spring field work and the hay seed
ed in winter wheat ground is showing
so favorable a stand that many farm
ers prefer to accept an Improbable
wheat crop rather than lost the good
catch OF hay"
WASHINGTON, May S.-The win
ter wheat crop this year promises
! to yield 499,2S0,000 bushels, the de.
partment of agriculture announced to
day, basing its forecast on the con.
dition of the crop of May |. The
output will probably be above or be-
low these figures according TO the
change in conditions from now until
time of harvest. Todays forecast
harvested last year, the greatest win
/ ter wheat crop ever gathered in this
, country and with forecast of $40
100000 bushels made last Decem-
Eer before the crop entered the
rather poor condition, showing a de
cline of "a points compare with the
l0-year average decline of 3.5 points.
On the crops condition April I, a
forecast of 495, 100000 bushels was
made bv the bureau cs crnn esti-
ment of acreage and average influ.
enees on the crop of harvesting
time.
The area of winter wheat to be
harvested is estimatd to be about
3a,,O20,00O acres as a result OF the
May ! canvass. The area planted
last fall was 37,256,0O0 acres, de-