The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-04-07
Department Of Agriculture ES-
tImateS Winter Crop at
43O,O0O,000 Bushels; Ay-
erage Condition 634,


WASHINGTON. April IA pros-
pcctiye slump Of more than 100000
br'hcls IN the winter wheat crop as
compared with last years crop is the
first war feeding problem TO confront
the country Official estimates OF the
department OF agriculture today--the
first for the 1917 harvest, forecast that
much OF decrease, although the acre.
age IS much larger The estimate Tor
this year is 4}0OOOOOO bushels
Figures for Previous Years.
Last year 4Sl.744OO0 bushels ysrc
harvested and 675947OOO bushels were
produced in 1915.
Condition on April was 6J4 percent
Of a normal compared with 7Sj last
year, SS g in 1918 and 81 the ten-ycar
average The condition decreased 22J
point, from December Ito April | COM
pared with an average decline Of 4
points in the past ten year, between
those dates.
Condition OF rye ON April vas SO
percent OF normal compared with @S
last year, S95 in 1915 and 800 the ten
year average
Oklahoma Condition "a.
Condition az winter wheat i'm the M
portant growing states on April | was:
/ Ohio So Indiana 65. Illinois 90. Missouri
|G. Nebraska IS. Kansas 45, Oklahoma
IA.
Increase in Rye Forecast.
/ Notwithstanding the heavy decrease
/ IN the prospective winter wheat crop,
/ the production ot rye is forecast by the
/ department Of agriculture at oOmOOW
/ bushels, the largest output Of that crop
/ ever rccordcd m the United States.
Last year the production OF rye was
! F,lHjOOO, in 1918 II was S4050O00
bushels and the average OF the pre-
yious five wear, was ", S68 900 bushels.
/ The food problem OF the coming year
. Iflllk N'IIN '.l l'l' lNl hlll'hlN lhNaAN'Al'
/ affecting the United States in the war.
extraordinary interest cenrered in tho
governments report today showing the
condition and production forecast of
the winter wheat crop planted last
autumn The extent OF the winter
wheat crop, usually about two-thirds
oi the entire production OF wheat III
,u thu, country is a vital question IN
a,murh as the allies will depend to
large degree upon American supplies
and Argentina las placed an embargo
ON wheat and flour cNoprtS
Part of Crop Killed.
The winter wheat area last autumn
was 100000 acres one of the largest
acrcages ever planted How much OF
I this acreage will have to be abandoned
because OF conditions which prevailed
during the winter has been cause of
much speculation Reports from dif-
icrcnt sources reaching the department
OF agriculture have indicated that there
was some winter killing OF winter wheat
in many sections OF Kentucky Tennes-
see, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri
/ IkIahOma, Kansas ana lcNaa, ana ot
hard red winter wheat in the western
and southwestern plains, particularly
in Kansas and Oklahoma Whether tho
extent OF the damage is more than tho
average was uncertain
Lack OF adequate snow covering dur
ng the winter has been responsible and
prolonged and severe drouths have fol-
lowed Most OF the winter sown acre.
age that has been abandoned undoubt.
edly viii be sown to spring wheat be-
cause OF the indicated shortage OF the
winter crop and the prevailing high
prices
Corn Is Proposed for South.
Cereal specialists OF The department
Of agriculture are recommending 10
farmers that If the crop is not morc
than half killed to let II grow Where
more than that has been killed in the
northern part Of the belt, seeding TO
spring wheat Is recommended, but in
the southern part OF the region plantiao