Milford chronicle., 1919-06-27
Sl.OOO,OOO LOSS TO
STATE WHEAT CROP
MIDDIETOWN BELT HIT HARDEST BY
The BLIGHT AND WILL HAVE ONLY
ABOUT HALF CROP.
SOME CUT TO REDUCE LOSSES
PROBABLY THE GREATEST CALAMITY
THAT HAS STRUCK OUR FARMERS
IN HISTORY OF The CROP.

delaware farmers will lose in tn
,sirhhorhood Of 100000 because Of
bIfsbt that suddenly struck the whea
cron within the past few days, just al
II was Fipening sufficiently to be har
vested.
This is probably the greatest calam
ity that has struck Delaware farmers
In the history of wheat growing in thi:
state. The blight reaches at least from
the canal to Bridgeville and is the mos
severe in the vicinity Of MiddletOwr
the best wheat growing land in the
state. Not only have the stalks dropped
making it impossible for the binders
IN cut all the wheat but in many cases
the heads are not filled out.
lust What has caused the blight has
NOT been determined, some of the best
nosted agriculturalists- in the State ad-
vance different opinions as TO the pos
sible cause All agree. however, that
the bearded varieties have suffered
much less than the bald varieties.
Some agriculturalists believe that the
extreme cold weather in April is the
principal cause. Others say that the
mild weather during the winter ad-
yanced the. wheat so fast that it was
necessary to pasture the cattle on it
for weeks has brought about present
conditions. Other farmers blame it on
the many fOgs Of the past ten days.
Whatever, the cause it has been a Sc
we're blow to hundreds Of farmers and
especially in the heavy wheat growing
belt within radius Of ten miles Of
NiddletOwn. One week ago the grow
ers in this vicinity were extremely Op-
timistic as there was every indication
Of a bumper crop. Suddenly conditions
changed and it is now estimated in that
vicinity that the quantity has been cut
at least % per cent, and the quality
another % per cent, making a 30 per
cent. total damage to the crop.
Wheat is now quoted above $3.50 a
bushel. One weesk ago the prospects
were of at least 100000 bushels within
fen miles Of Middletown, which would
have brought nearly 100000 to the
growers. Some idea Of the great loss
can be obtained when it is stated that
instead Of nearly s1.0OO,O00, these same |
farmers will not receive S5OO,OOO for |
their crop Of wheat.
In order to try and save as much as |
possible, many farmers for the trst /
time ever known, cut wheat all day |
Sunday. The wheat became ripe so
quick and the stalks were falling so
fast that this drastic step was posi-
lively necessary. In some instances the
farmers by promising double pay, got
some of their hands to work yesterday
out where this could not be done the
wheat was cut and allowed to remain
IN the ground in sheaves until today
About a week ago the Middletown
'armers had decided, judging from the
condition of the wheat, today would be
,bout the time to start the harvest.
asst Monday the wheat fields were
Teen. the grain was hardly formed and ;
n a milky state. Every condition al (
hat time seemed satisfactory ana the
armers were jubilant over their pros
,ects for a big crop. On Tuesday Ihe
lelds took brown color and the Iol-
owing day to all appearances the
wheat was ripe. This caused a rush
O begin the harvest. although many
we're not ready. Some few started TO s
MT on Wednesday and Thursday ana
more were cutting by the end OF the q
week. Dozens Of farmers becoming
larmed over the situation because OF
he wheat ripening so fast ana tne
talks falling bought extra reapers 70 /
ush the harvesting. /
BY Thursda ymost all the crop IN tne
icinitv of Middletown was struck Win b
mat is known as "stubble falling, P
nd bv Saturday entire fields were III r
1at condition. The stalks We're down a
: that il was impossible for the reap
= To cut them at all. The conditions o
70 reported to be even worse today. me v
eads begin to droop and within teW n
ours are near the ground, and by tne I
ext day are touching the ground. The L
le9ves as they come from the reaper
70 ali out of shape and cannot be e
locked. Should rainy spell come g
.e damage would be even greater. As u
ated the bearded varieties are not 5
,maged so much, but most Delaware q
rmers unfortunately for some years
I'VE been sowing the bald varieties:
As far as could be learned today the
,op has not been greatly damaged
,rth of the canal except in a few in c
ances. Newton L. Grubb, Of Brandy b.
inc hundred. a member of the State f.
yard of Agriculture, stated this morn m
2 thai to date there is no indication a.
the blight in that vicinity He ex- re-
aimed. however, that the wheat up 81
S way is not advanced near as far T
down the State and that there was Nh
that the blight may strike c.
EN- vet. Mr.. Grubb stated that he &C
d lust such a blight in field OF de
leat on his farm 20 years agos l re- m
smber. he said, il was a bald variety Is
Il lust before it was ripped l expected c,
get 25 bushels to the acre, but when
rvested it amounted to only five AZ
shells. The heads, he said, did not D;
out and the stalks dropped. Half OF 50
, field was affected this way, he 81
ted, and on making an investigation d;
found little worms in the first joint S.
the stalk. Whether or not these pa
ects have been found in any Of the
ds damaged at this time could not C
learned. tic
'ormer Judge Daniel O. Hastings, M
0 owns a farm near Dover. says the ed
yht has damaged at least so per cent. est
the crop all down that way. He ct,
tes that it is the bald variety Of ap
eat that has been mostly damaged. tn,
he damage, it was learned, has ex- av
ded as far as Bridgeville. Former Co
- 9VnotVl OliNcI a. -N0WIou' VI HOoi Sia
dgeville, has suffered considerable TOT
naged by the blight in his wheat.
Frank Biggs. Of Middletown, stated 1T
ay that the damage in that vicinity
every bit as severe as represented.
said he noticed several weeks ago
the heads were not filling out like !
y should, although the straw was er
Wy. The "stubble falling" the past lou
days he stated, has done much VIII
- NJ