Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-09

Kansas .'''................ So 4200600(
Oklahoma ................. 70 Sl,7stoO(
Washington, May SIN the face
of a threatened world food shortage
the American winter wheat crop
shows the lowest condition recorded
since 1888 and promised smaller
yield than any other since 1904.
Agricultural conditions otherwise
are good, the department announced,
and1it recalled that although the win
I ter wheat crop Of 1912 SHOW ed an
equally discouragins outlool; the total
production of crops that year was the
greatest on record.
The crop. planted last autumn on
one of the largest acreages ever sown
to that grain, but which met disaster
in several important producing states
from severe winter conditions, now
promises harvest of 500, 10000
bushels this year. :
That quantity was forecast today
by the Department OF Agriculture
which based its estimate ON the con-
dition Of the crop May l as reported
by the thousands of agents through
out the grain belt. ,
Big Decrease in Month.
A month ago a crop of 100000
bushels was forecast. Production last
year was 48l.744,000 bushels and in
1915 it was 673,947,000 bushels.
On May the area of winter wheat
TO be harvested was about I'll ,653,00
acres, compared with 100000 acres
sown last autumn and 34,829,000 acres
harvested last year.
The condition of the crop OH May
was 1872 per cent of normal. COM
pared with 63.4 on April !, 82.4 on
May last year and 300, the average
OF the last ten years on May |.
Hay and Pastures.
Meadow (hay) lands: Condition SS.7
per cent of normal, compared With
1874 on May last year and 87.9 the
ten-year May average.
Hay: Stocks of hay on farms May
are estimated at l2,488,000 tons, or
ia per cent of last years crop,
against l4,452;00O tons, or 1875 per
cent, on May last year; and 1897
600 tons, or IFS per cent, the FIVE
year average on May ]. i
Pastures: Condition 8l.9 per cent of
a normal, against 85.2 on May last
year and S5.2 the ten-year May aver
age. .....
Spring Work Well Along.
Spring blowing: Was ia per cent
completed up to May /, compared
with 70,+ on May | last year and
69.3 the ten-year May ] average.
Spring plating: Was 5S.7 per cent
completed up to May /, compared
with 567 on May last year. and
sos the ten-year May / average.
Nebraska Conditions Reviewed.
Aaron E. Anderson, field agent,
gives the. following general review of
crop conditions in Nebraska, May |:
Most Of the counties will have a little
winter wheat, ranging from the occasional
field to better condition In few Of the
less important counties where possibly one.
third to one-half of the acreage Will be left
Many Of the most important counties will
have practically no wheat. In eastern coun-
ties farmers have not vet decided whether
to pillow UP the wheat fields 'or to leave
them. II many of these fields do not show
at least fair prospect by the latter part
OF the month they will be planted to corn.
The condition of the wheat In the eastern
counties is very bad. Even some OF the
better fields are nearly month late, weedy,
thin stand. and with many of the under
ground stems so badly damaged that it is
doubtful IL many of them can carry the
necessary nourishment from the soil At
best, the Yield will be light and with unfa-
yorable weather II may be almost nothing
in the western part of the state, the condi-
ton of part of the wheat is fairly good
In the central part of the state where we
have the large acreage, there is practically
no wheat upon which TO report condition.
Damage to Alfalfa. +
Even the rye was more or less damaged
and many reports indicate a certain per-
centags of abandonment. The condition of
rye left for harvest Is low but is improv-
ing.
The abandonment of alfalfa will be very
large, but the extent is yet doubtful The
greatest damage appears to be confined to
a strip east and west through the center OF
the state which includes many of the most
important countless but reports indicate
damage over the entire state Fields over
three and four years killed out wost. The
extent of the damage to last fall seeding
depends upon the quantity of moisture
which was conserved previously to seeding
Red clover killed out badly From q study
of many field conditions both clover and
alfalfa was damaged BY the drought and
freezing. Hu.
The supply of hay on farms is perhaps
the lowest for some time. The shipments
were much larger than usual, but not equal
to the demand.
Farmers are delayed with the pIowng
due to a late spring, rains, extra large per
cent of work TO be done. and the shortage
of necessary power Practically all small
grain is seeded and corn planting has be-
gun. With large increased acreage, this