Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-23
CROP PROSPECTS GOOD
ALL OVER OLD DOMINION
Latest Reports to Richmond Business
Mcr and Estimates OF Govern.
ment Agree That AIS Well.
V RGINIA AHEAD OTHER STATES
United States Field Agents Find
Corn Crop 8S Per Cent O. Normal.
Tobacco and Hay Largely Iu-
crcaScd-Other Crops.

CTcaScu-Otner crops.
Richmond merchants. bankers and
business men generally seem To be more
interested in crop reports and crop
prospects this year than ever before. /
For the past month they have been
getting very gratifying reports, so far
as the Virginia and North Carolina
crops are concerned. The money crops
especially. within the past six or eight
weeks. have come on, OF the kinks. |
the weather conditions having been al |
together favorable for giving them the
Enal growth and for maturing them. /
According TO s. a. Jones. of the gov
eminent crop reporting service. acting
field agent for Virginia. the month OF
August was favorable for crops in the
Old dominion. While in many other
States drought, caused vast damage. in
Virginia there was general Sn:, and ma. ma.
it improved up to condition OF 81
in Virginia. Corn and tobacco show |
marked Improvement, while potatoes
have improved slightly in prospects;
The general sufficiency of rainfall and
the warmer weather are accountable
for the gratifying upward turn.
corn-Condition. So per cent OF nor
nal against 81 last month and - last
year This means about J,0OU,U0O BUSH 1
els more than promised month ago
and lS.00o.000 above the hve-year aver 1
age production. Il is almost 3.oooooV
rclow last years crop. but the quality
~ omises TO be very good as contrasted
with the poor quality last year. Much
OF the crop is now in the hard Dough
stage The condition IS around 50 IN
the northern. central and eastern dis
,rict 90 in the western. southwestern
and southeastern and so in the south
| ern district.
The corn crop OF the United States
has. as result Of drought in the Mid
die West. fallen TO present prospect OF
gust of 3l7.0O0,ooo bushels. This is
4S7 100000 bushels less than the big
crop of 1917, which was OF very poor
quality, however, and es,ooo'Vuo iesS
than the average OF the preceding hve
years =,
! 81 .6Oo, 900 bushels in the spring wheat
, crop bringing the total crop OF MN
ter and spring wheat up to soo,oOo,ooo
/ bushels 22T 100000 more than last
/ year and 90000,o0o above the hve-yea.
( TO the loss shown in the corn crop.
! Oats-Oats are proving slightly bet
I ter than thought, and now promise d
crop OF 5.554uuO ousheis' 9-'oVo h'o'
/ The United states crop OF oats now
! promised is l.447.ooo,000 bushels aEainS.
/ ISL 100000 bushels realized from ia .,
( PCS, 100000.
White potatoes--the. condition re
I mains unchanged ii 10 per cent. WIN
I a slightly Increased yieia ,, p' haNinr
| offset the declining tendency. the
| early crop was poor and the late one
is no,hinE TO ensnpse is oSe the present
! promise. this including both early anu
late potatoes. The big o 9Top OF ia 81
! 1915 the State produced l6'9oo'ygo;
! The white potato crop OF the United
states is estimated ed ON on sep pien, i.s
/ O.0oo in 1917 and 362.00o.V00 average.
Sweet potatocs-a slight impr"Ne-
ment OF per cent is Reported. mas
! showing s. per cent. and the average
! year 81 per cent at this date. me
| United States crop Is d dorecaS. =. 81.
/ Than last year. but l7,oo0,oU0 greater
! than the average =,
/ Tobacco-the handsome condition Oh
] 80 per- cent is reported. 1 per cent
! higher than a month age. promising
upon the increased acreage crop OF
| l5s,S+l.oo0 pounds. Last year the crop
/ age is l30.7o5.o00. The Improvement
/ during August and the big crop nov
practically assured sure are are. d paIiSu apry
ass whole. II the crop now phomised
is realized it Will be record Tor the
! state.
The crop OF tobacco forecast for the
! country at large is l.2ls.Ooo,ooO pounds.
| 10000 900 less than month age Even
! larger than last year. $4,000, 900 above
1 the average and the greatest crop Of
3
Hay--Virginia's hay crop is now
| estimated at l.l24. 900 tons. Last year
! il was 996, 600. and in 1916 il was l,2l5.-
/ 600 with n five-year average OF SY4,-
! 600. The quality is high, the principle
! haying season being we'll nigh perfect
I in most OF the State. The production
! Of timothy hay is reported at 81 pei
. cent against IS and IS per cent last
year and average. The acreage OF
/ clover for seed increased per cent.
/ and the condition is 90 per cent. COM
| pared with 16 per cent last year. and
/ average of s. per cent. Alfalfa pro-
/ duction is 90 per cent, compared with
% and IS per cent Millet. pastures;
and field peas tcowpeasJ and he!d
, beans tsoy) range from 90 To % per
! cent against SO 10 81 per cent last
year and So and 81 per cent average.
The hay crop OF the United States
| is forecast at S6.25i,o0O tons compared
with 94.930,00O and 95.3Il 900 last year
! and average. Pastures arc poor.
| All forages are considerably below
| last year and the average as result
! of the disastrous droughts in the
| Northwest Southwest and Middle
! West.
| Peanuts in Virginia have improved
| markedly, and now show the high
I condition of 80 per cent OF normal.
which is 10 per cent above last year
at this date and Z per cent above nor
NAL The United States crop OF pea
nuts is poor 1858 per cent this being
! 10 per cent below last year and S per