Smyrna times., 1919-06-25
WHEAT CROP STAGGERING
LOSS TO LOCAL FARMERS
WORK SUNDAY AROUND MID
DLETOWN TO SAVE CROPS.
Blight Ruins Fields in MiddletOwn-
Smyrna-DOver Section BeyOund
RedemptiOn-DrOp in Grade.


RedemptiOn-DrOp in Grade.
The farmers of this section are dis
tressed over the prospects of the
wheat crop, and for the first time ever
known many of them spent Sunday in
their fields. At least fifty farmers
within ten miles of Middletown ran
their harvesting machinery all day,
Some of them were lucky enough to
persuade their farmhands, by the
promise of double wages, to shock the
wheat after the binders; but many
of them cut the wheat and left it ly-
ing on the ground in the sheaves.
The prospect one week ago looked
the best ever known for a bumper
crop of wheat. Monday any farmer
within en- miles of Middletown
would have sold his chances in the
crop for one-half of what he would
have taken one week ago. All the
farmers had set on Monday, June 16,
for the beginning of the harvest. A
week ago the fields were green, the
grain was hardly formed and in a
milky state. On Tuesday the fields
took on a brown color, and on the
following day, to all appearances, the
crop was ripe. A rush was made to
begin harvest, and many started on
Wednesday. By Thursday the entire
crop, with the exceptions of some late
varieties, was taken with what is
known as "stubble falling" Some re-
ports came in of entire fields being
in that condition, and it is thought
many of the fields will be ruined be-
yond redemption.
Cause of Blight Hard To Determine
The bearded varieties of wheat have
suffered less from the blight thar
the bald varieties, but the majority Of
the farmers have for the past ter
years sowed the bald varieties, sucl
as "Stoner," Fulson" and "Leapi
Prolific" One variety of the bearded
wheat which seems to have withstOo'
the blight is the Pennsylvania Blu
Stem" Many of the small grower
have planted this variety, and are no
experiencing the troubles that tn
planters who have sown the bald va
rieties, The cause of the blight
hard to determine. Many of the bes
posted agriculturists believe that tn
freezing weather in April, was tn
cause of it, on account of killing tn
lower blades on the late stools of tn
seed. Others advance the theor
that the pasturing of the crop is tn
trouble, but in, this community thel
are but three or four farmers WI
did not pasture their wheat helC
some time or other during the wint(
an6 early spring. At any rate II
tenant farmer made up the differen'
in their share of the wheat by Il
extra flow of milk which was induce
bv the pasturing of the wheat field
Manv of the farmers believe that Il
fogs of the last ten days to be Il
cause of the blight, but no detinl
conclusion has been received yet. II
fact remains that the crop is hurt
at least 80 per cent. The fields Will
are blighted present study for
agriculturist. The heads begin
droop. and within a few hours a
within a few inches of the grour
and next morning are touching I
ground. The machines cut the whe
and bind it in sheaves, and I
sbeaves are all out of shape and
senble bundles of hay in appearan
It is impossible to shock the wht
and should a rainy spell Of weatf
come on now, the crop will be turtf
damaged.
Reduction in the Grade of Wheat
To add further to the distress
the farmers the threshing mach
owners have held several meetlr
and have raised their prices
tbreshing from the fields from se'
to eight cents bushel, and from
stack from five to six cents busl
The grain dealers in looking o
the situation, and consulting W
the brokers on the grain exchan
in the cities of Philadelphia
Baltimore are of the opinion that
grade of the wheat here will red
the price from ten to thirty cents
bushel, and that the condition OF
wheat in the pinched shape that i
time will reduce the weight at Il
10 per cent.