Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-06-26
u. S. CROP DATA
MORE OPTIMISTIC
Report Indicates Labor Short
age Exaggerated.
By DIR. FRANK NJ. SURFACE.

By DR.. FRANK NJ. SURFACE
WASHINGTON, June 26.-lThe serious
shortage of farm labor and the unfavor-
able weather throughout most OF the
principal crop area has caused some wor-
ry regarding the size Of this years
crop.
A memorial recently presented to
President Wilson by the American Farm
Bureau Federation, the National Grange
and the Farmers Union calls attention
to what they describe as "the critical
situation existing on the farm and the
resulting menace to the nations food
supply"
The memorial states that the lack OF
farm labor has cut production one
third in some sections, and that many
millions of acres of land were being left
"uncropped."
The May crop report Of the depart
ment of agriculture give some figures
from which We can estimate the accur-
acy Of these statements and form some
idea of the seriousness Of the situa-
ton.
The department has now given esti-
mates on the acreage planted to winter
wheat spring wheat, oats, barley, rye
and hay. This includes all the prfnci-
pal cereals except corn.
The total acreage for these six crops
amounts to 179.343, 900, which is ST. per
cent Of the 1919 acreage, and lola per
cent Of the nine year average.
The principal decrease this year, COM
pared with last, is in winter wheat.
II We consider only the three spring
sown grains-wheat, oats and barley-ths
average percentage Of the 1912 acreage
IS 93.5 This is not such serious re-
duction and indicates that in spite Of the
labor shortage, the farmers have planted
the usual number Of acres.
AVERAGE OF 9S.5
FOR THREE CROPS.
The 1920 estimated yield OF these crops
and apples and peaches averages SO per
cent greater than in 1919, and Ii per
cent greater than the average production
for the years 1914-191S.
Taking the three spring grown crops,
the estimated production this year is
1777. 10000 bushels, compared to 1921
100000 bushels last year, an increase c6
95 per cent.
Some further evidence along this line
is shown by the department Of agrtcui-
lures estimate Of the compost condf-
ton of all crops expressed in percentage
Of the ten-year average This figure on
June 1 1920, was e4S per cent, which Is
only So per cent below the same figure
on June 1 last year.
HARVEST PROSPECT
NEARLY NORMAL.
All of these data indicate that our
harvest this year win not be far below
normal
No one doubts that there is serious
shortage Of farm labor this year and
everything possible should be done to
relieve this situation, but it is unfortu-
nate that the farmers organizations are
making claims so at variance with the
official estimates.
No official estimates have been made
on the corn crop as yet. but the private
unofficial reports indicate an increased
acreage here, also.
Another statement reported in the
press as coming from the American
Farm Bureau federation states that
farm prices already have been forced
down.
This also does not agree with the Of
fetal reports of the department Of agrf-
culture. in the departments report Is
sued June Q, 1920 1t says:
''The level Of prices paid producers IN
the United States for the principal crops
increased about 81 per cent during
May.
ION June 1, the index figure OF prices
was about 23.S per cent higher than a
year ago. 800 per cent higher than two
years ago and 1868 per cent higher than
the average Of the past ten years on
June l."
The price of meat animals ala de-
crease "a per cent between April Is ana
May IS, compared to an average increase
of OF per cent in the same period in
the last ten years. But since the Farm
bureaus reference was apparently to
field crops. the statement cannot be sup
ported by the official facts.-Copyright
1904