The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-04-11
Of WHEAT.
STATE CROP REPORT SENT OUT
BY FIELD AGENT
Statement Made In Regard To
The Labor Supply In
Minnesota
Especial to Free Press.l

United States Department of Agri
culture. Bureau of Crop Estimates
Office OF Minnesota Field Agent, Fer.
gus Falls, Mimi, April 9.-The bureau
of crop estimates through its Mime
sofa field agent makes public today its
report on condition of winter wheat
rye. number OF breeding sows and
farm labor supply and demand for the
United States and Minnesota. Re-
garding the situation in Minnesota
the Minnesota Field Agent Paul II
Kirk, says:
The rye crop as whole has conc
through the winter very nicely In
the northwest part of the state the
crop, on account of dry fall went into
winter under rather adverse condi
tons, the growth being short How
ever, the mild winter with sufficient
snow covering wa a great help and
protection so that rye came out even
better than expected in this district
though the crop is backward and con
ditions not the best.
I'm the couthern and central dis
tricts there was plenty of moisture in
the fall to give rye good growth, and
within favorable winter rye is looking
exceptionally well. The condition fol
Minnesota, April /, is 81 per cent com
pared to So per cent last year Con
diticn of rye in the more important
counties in the state are as follows
Benton 100, Brown So, Dakota SO
Goodhue 100, Kittson sc, Marshall 76
Morrison SO. Ottertail 81, Redwood So
Roseau 90, Sherburne SO, Stearns 81
Todd 81. Wabasha. 80.
There have been some reports
of winter kill of winter wheat on
high lands where snow did not
lodge. However, the crop came
through lie winter much better
than it did one year ago. The condi
ton April / being 81 per cent while on
same date q year ago il was 81 pei
cent.
Reports from practically every
county in the state indicate that far
mcrS have retained more breeding
sows than one year ago. The price OF
hogs has been satisfactory and profit
able, Notwithstanding the high price
of feed. There has been no disease TO
lower death rate among brood sows
and, With farmers prosperous, there
was no necessity for selling breeding
stock this year. The number of brood
sows or farm is estimated TO be sew
en- per cent more than one year ago.
"The opinion is>quite general from
reports received that the labor. supply
is nearly able to take care of all farm
work Help is more plentiful due to
some eAtent by returning soldiers go
ing bad TO. farms; though there have
been q bparous reports that soldiers
Originally from farms are not return
ing but remaining in the larger cities.
Farmers as a rule, have adjusted their
work to meet present conditions hav-
ing gained experience from the two
years preceding.
THE present farm labor supply
compared with one year ago is esti-
mated for Minnesota to be sc per
cent.
"The demand for farm labor is
slightly above that of last year. 103
per cent. There is an effort being
made 10 farm as much land as possible
which with the shortage makes de-
mand quite strong"
Figures for the United States as a
whole for April report are as follows
Winter wheat 1913 per cent; rye, 1916
per cent; breeding sows 1908 per
cent; farm labor supply S4.4 per cent;
EARN labor demand 1014 per cent.