The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-19
VIRGINIA CROP CONDITIONS
BY S. A. Jones. Acting Field Agent.

i July was not a good crop month
for Virginia. Needed rains relieved
idroughty conditions at mid month
but while saving the situation the
cownpour was so heavy that
at the close of ten days
j the damage chargeable to this ex-
cess OF good thing all but counter
balanced the ben efits.
Corn was saved from the drought
hut could not be worked and many
fields are very weedy. Much corn
and other crops on the rich bottoms
and low grounds of the state were
drowned, washed out or thrown
down. Tobacco was injured terribly
and is now a sorry crop. Large guam
titles OF cut hay rotted on the ground
or grew ripe and suffered serious
damage. The Wheat, already sorely
; afflicted by freezes. rust, scab and
} blight, suffered a final handicap of
harvest damage, many sections re-
PORTING the grain sprouting in shocks
. where unprotected. Oats likewise
! suffered and fruits and vegetables
registered declines of from five to
twenty below las, months figure.
Corn now promises yield of
q bushels per acre which would
mean a crop OF $1,000, 900 bushels,
!, 10000 less than promised a month
ago and about 5,o00,oo0 less than
realized last year. The crop is not
yet made, however. and may improve
or decline, although ample moisture
: just now is a great asset. The crop
: in the North is almost perfect and
in the West and Southwest 1t is very
good - Elsewhere 1t Is only average.
Wheat promises about l5,100.0 900
bushels, a very disappointing figure
compared with the forecast of 49,
$4,000 bushels from the May / con-
/, oltion. Nevertheless il is far from a
: failure. This quantity of wheat is
equivalent to about one billion loaves
Of bread. 1t is about half mill
lion bushels less than was produced in
the state last year.
Tobacco has fallen in the central
or dark district TO a condition Of ss,
being off about S from last months
figure. In the southern district. the
cid bright yellow. 1t lis down about
, 20 to figure around SO Per cent
OF normal. The present conditions
for the state indicate yield of about
as7 pounds per acre or total for the
state of I22.76L000 pounds. q de-
!, cline from last months promise OF
about 100000 pounds. This con-
dition seems to have resulted almost
entirely from the affect OF the ire
mendous beating and flooding rains OF
the last half OF July. although there
are a few reports OF damage from
disease. probably contingent upon
the wet weather.
The condition OF hay has fallen
Touring the month from "a to 81 and
the promise of total crop 10 reduced
considerably, doubtless as a result of
the storm damage. which destroyed
much good hay and prevented the
harvesting of many fields until over
ripe and badly injured. This figure
covers all tame hay. including the
grasses, clover, millet. beans and
lpeas. The present returns indicate
Ia crop of 15,s77.o00 tons. Con-
ditions improved in the eastern and
northeastern districts and remain the
same in the southwest but fell of
considerably in the heavy producing
districts of the north, west and GEN.
ter.
1 Pasture is magnificent over prac-
tically all OF the state as a result OF
the abundant rains.
/ Peas and beans show a decline in
lcondition.
| Peanuts have fallen off some from
: rain damage.
Irish potatoes are an Indifferent
crop. as reported last month. being
low the figure of the average year.
Sweet potatoes are doing very
well. having held the high figure OF
irinty-two reported last month. which
is above the average for this date.
watermelons were affected dis
astreusIy and muskmeions were Also
injured seriously.
4 Apples in Virginia made distinct
Improvement during July. the con-
dition figure rising from fifty to
ffty-eight. Very marked improve
/ ment occurred in some OF the COM
rnercial counties.
Still the commercial crop promises
less than last year by fifteen per cent
the decrease being principally in the
Winchester and lower Shenandoah
Valley sections Of the state. There
lis also a decrease OF forty per cent
in the crop about Roanoke. The Sec
! t.ons which have shown an increase
are Nelson and adjoining counties.
also Augusta county and the dis
! trict about Stanton. which shows
an increase Of twenty-five per cent.
Virginia now promises to ship 1905.
coo barrels as compared with 1906
900 barrels last year, or SIS
Per cent of last years crop.
In the Piedmant district of vir-
iginia. including the Roanoke section.
a crop of $4,000 barrels as compared
with 100000 barrels last year or an
increase of ten per cent over the. crop
Of 1918 is promised. The greater
part OF the increase may be credited
Ito Nelson county, which will have
fully 100000 barrels more than last
year $4,000 barrels more viii be
shipped from Alton than last year
and 25,800 more will be shipped
from Covesville. Other shipping
stations located In Albemarle county
will not ship more than last year on
account OF the light crop in Wine
sap.
Many OF the Piedmont growers
have sold their crop At $500 to $500
H. o. b. Eippins on the whole through
the Piedmont. are very good crop.
Rappahannock county has about
seventy 1--we per cent OF last years
crop, while Loudoun county II very
light The district about Roanoke
will not ship over sixty per cent OF
last year. The Bent Mountain and
Etarkey sections are particularly