The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-09-20
MISSOURI CROPS FOR 1918

Jefferson City, Mo-, Sept. IL
That bumper prospect for the Mis-
souri, corn crop on July l has been
cut in two was announced here today
by 4. A. Logan and Jewell Mayes of
the Missouri Cooperative Crop Re-
porting Service. This report for Sep
TENDER l shows the corn prospect to
be only 130,500,000 bushels with an
indicated yield of IS bushels per acre.
The condition is As per cent, and low
er than any other year since 1866,
except that of 1881 at az per cent,
1901 at 20 per cent, and 1913 at Al
per cent. The Missouri yield last
year was 35 bushels per acre, totaling
252, 100000.
In st. Francois county the condi-
ton of corn Sept. /, 1917, was 101 per
cent and 81 per cent on Sept. l, 1918.
In this county the corn crop cut for
silage was Is per cent, and for fod-
der go per cent. The condition of po-
tatoes, 81 per cent; wheat blowing 80
..per cent completed; condition of ap-
pies 20 per cent; yield Of hay, lis
tons per acre; and condition of pas
ture, rs per cent.
The corn had stood drouth fairly
well except west and southwest coun-
ties until the hot winds which spread
over the whole State literally "broiling
alive" the already suffering crop to a
crisp brown, running the most promis-
ing outlook in more than ten years.
A few bottom fields and those protect
cd by hills or timber on the southwest
side escaped in part. The greatest
damage covers a broad belt extending
across the State from Bates and Yer
non on the west to Rails and Marion
on the east. Spots in many sections
are good, while others near by are as
bad as the worst. Silage will take 10
per cent, and As per cent will be cut
for fodder. Large portion is poor for
age due to the scorChing and grass
hoppers.
The hay yield is 100000 tons
against 1867 900 last year. Average
per acre is 81 tons. Quality is SO
and sun-scorched. 33 per cent was
baled. Prairie hay yielded Sd of a
ton per acre, totaling 10l 900 tons,
90 per cent baled, production confined
to few counties on the west. Sea-
son for clover seed has been disap-
pointing, both from the drouth and
from grasshoppers eating seed heads
and much was pasturod. Nearly all
the clover sown with grain killed
Alfalfa yield is 1876 tons per acre
with the last cutting more promising
Millet, 60 per cent. Grain sorghums
65 per cent. Cowpeas, Sc per cent.
Vegetables are very scarce on al
Missouri farms, tomatoes surviving
drouth best. Rains came too late tc
revive gardens materially. Potatoes
= SIS per cent, indication GAGS, 900 bush.
els, with most counties in the market
for outside tubers. Sweet potatoes
, 62 per cent, $4,000 bushels.
/ Fruit of all kinds is very scarce
, Peaches, failure. Grapes, 81 pei
cent, fell off badly. Pears, 80 pei
, cent, with blight prevalent. Apples
80 per cent, falling badly in Newton
and many other counties, and crop in
, general very poor, but few we'll.
kept orchards in the central section
, escaping disaster.
Pasture, IA per cent, in many coun-
ties no grass, and live stock have
, been fed as in dead of winter, greer
corn used extensively. Added to lack
, of rain was the grasshopper pest eat
, ing every green sprig and still present
menacing fall wheat Recent soaking
, rains are rapidly improving pasturage
with prospect of good grazing if fall
| is warm.
A few cattle have died from eating
cane and fodder, and from scattering
cases of black-leg. Many sick sheep
In general, live stock are healthy but
thin. Scarcity of stock water reliev
! ed. AS a result of the drive to in
crease pork production, the number o.
hogs is II per cent more than las
,, September. Shoats and light STUFF
have recently been shipped out o
= many sections. Hogs are going Oh
feed thin. No epidemic of cholera ex
cept in small spots. Number of sheel
has increased and wool production i
Is per cent above last year, clip
pounds per head, State totaling 10,
250,O00 pounds.
Indications are good for a largel
increased wheat seeding this fal
Flowing, 50 per cent completed, an
now going forward rapidly in all sec
tions. More than usual interest in fer
tilizers, and in the treatment for smu
which damaged IL per cent of tn
wheat crop and 10 per cent of tn
oats this year, and was present in
lesser degree in much of the balanc
yet not sufficient for docking.
In spite of the loss of one of the fir
est prospects ever seen in Missoul
for corn, the farmers are not down