The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-07
Govt Report Shows Slump of
5O,OOO,OOO Bushels.
OF Big Wheat States, Kansas
Showing Is Poorest.
45 PER CENT IN THIS STATE
Natl Estimate Is 4S1,744,OOO
Blu. OFF 4O,O9O,OOO Acres.
Urge Farmers to Let Even Half
Crop Go to Harvest.

Washington, April IA prospective
slump of more than 5Q,000,0Oo bushels
in the winter wheat crop as compared
with last years crop is the first war
feeding problem to confront the coun-
try. Official estimates of the depart
NEST of agriculture today-the first
for the 1917 harvest-forecast that
much of a decrease, altho the acreage
much greater.
The winter wheat crop of the United
States will be about 43O.oOO,O00
Last year 4S1, 744,OOO bushels were
harvested and GT3.947,OOO bushels
were produced in 1915.
Condition on April l. was 63.4 per
cent of normal, compared with 1873
last year; SS.S in 1916 and S6.2 the
ten year average. The condition de-
creased 1928 points fro NJ December l
10 April ], compared with an average
decline of four points in the past ten
years between those dates. Condi-
ton of rye on pril l, was $50 per
cent of a normal compared with SIS
last year; S9.5 in 1915 and 89.6 the
ten year average.
Only IS Per Cent in Kansas.
Condition of winter wheat in the inn
portant growing states on April l was:
Ohio. so; Indiana, 50; Illinois, 60
Missouri, 81: Nebraska, IS; Kansas,
IS; Oklahoma, "A.
The food problem Of the coming
year being one of the paramount ques-
tions affecting the United States in the
war, extraordinary interest centered
in the 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 of the entire,
of WI in
is vital question in as much as the
allies will depend to A large degree
upon American supplies and Argen-
tina has placed an embargo on wheat
and flour exports.
Many States Suffer Loss.
The winter wheat area last autumn
was 40,090,000 acres, one of the lar
gest acreage ever planted. How much
Of this acreage will have to be aban-
doned because of conditions which
prevailed during the winter, has been
the cause of much speculation. Re
ports from different sources reaching
the department of agriculture have
Indicated that there was some winter
Killing of winter wheat in many sec
Tons of Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma,
Kansas and Texas, and of hard red
winter wheat in the western and south
western plains. particularly in Kan
sas and Oklahoma. Whether the eX-
tent of the damage is more than the
average was uncertain.
Lack Of adequate snow covering
during the winter has been response
BILE and prolonged and severe droughts
have followed. Most of the winter
sown acreage that has been abandon
ed undoubtedly will be sown to spring
Wheat because of the indicated short
age of the winter crop and the pre-
vailing high prices.
4 Urge Spring. Planting i'm North
( Cereal specialists of the department
of agriculture are recommending to
farmers that if the crop is not more
than half killed to let it 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 plant
ing of corn is proposed.
Bumper Crop of Rye.
notwithstanding the heavy decrease
IN the prospective winter wheat croD
inc production of rye is forecast by the
department of agricultural 6O,OOO.OOO
bushels, the largest output of that cron
ever recorded in the United States Last
year the production of rye was A.
3S3, 600 bushels; in 1915 it was 54
ObO,000 bushels and the average of
, the previous five years was 1868, 900
bushels.
Big Slump in Nebraska
In Kansas and Nebraska. the two
leading winter wheat growing states
the crop suffered enormous damage
Nebraska reported condition of 35
per cent of normal. That was a
decline of fifty points from the con-
dition reported December l. last. In
Kansas the condition on April 1, was
IS per cent of normal, a decline Of az
points since December J.
Other important winter wheat seed
Ing states also report heavy declines
In condition because of the severe
winter and drouth conditions. In Ohio
the decline was Z points, Indiana "A
points, Illinois 81 points, Missouri %
nnints and Okla hnr,aa 10 rani-,4-