The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-04-16
MISSOURI CROPS, APRIL, 1920.

Jefferson City, Mo-, April 13.-That
Missouri wheat on April 1st was 70
per cent normal against 103 per cent
last April, is the joint report of jew
ell Mayes and E. A. Logan of the
State Board of Agriculture and U.
S. Bureau of Crop Estimates. This
condition indicates yield of IL bush,
els per acre or prospect of $780,,
900 bushels.
In st. Francois county the condition
of winter wheat is 78 per cent, rye
IS per cent; number of brood sows
compared to last April, SO per cent;
hogs on feed, rs per cent; supply of
farm labor compared to usual year,
81 per cent; farm labor demands, lis
per cent of usual requirements; oats
seeded, q per cent; spring blowing,
II per cent done; eggs, 35c to SOC per
dozen.
Missouri Wheat is SO points below
last April, due to late seeding and
short growth during the fall, part of
the acreage not appearing above the
ground until early spring. Crop
greening up in all sections adm shows
an improvement of two points over
March /, which is less than anticipat-
ed but with March cold and backward
season this condition is to be expected.
Heavy rains of March did damage in
a few sections but the recent snow has
filled the ground with moisture and
will be of great benefit. Hessian fly
present in Lafayette, Henry, Cooper,
Cole, Saline, st. Charles, Lawrence,
Newton, Christian, Cape Girardeau
and Perry. A large acreage of wheat
has been abandoned in Newton and
other southwest counties. Wheat best
in northwest and poorest in southwest
and southeast Missouri.
Rye condition 10 per cent against
101 last April, and looking good in
most counties on less acreage than
last year and has afforded but little
pasturage this spring. Rye best in
northwest and poorest in west, south
central and southeast.
Oats seeding is only 81 per cent
completed against rs per cent last
April, with the largest portion of the
work completed in the southwest and
least in the north section. Some seed
| ing February was lost by freezing and
the work has been retarded by heavy
rains during March, with farmers
about decided to mud" in the rest and
plant the balance of intended oat
acreage to corn. Spring blowing one
fourth completed against one-third
last year with over half done in the
southwest section and one-ffth in the
west and northwest, east and south
east, while in the north and northeast
one-eighth of spring blowing is done.
Prospect for corn acreage good, farm
ers planning to return to usual area.
Spring wheat acreage of 1880 con-
fined almost wholly to the northern
third, is little over half of 1919.
Brood sows on Missouri farms only
Sc per cent of last year, with the prin-
cipal reductions in the southwest, CEN
trail and southeast portions where the
corn crop was poor and the greater
number in the northern third. Pig
crop reported light. Farmers are dis
posed to clay off" of hogs at present
prices. Hogs on feed, 85 per cent of
the number last year with the great
est reduction in the southern sections
and the largest number in the north
and northeast. State Bureau of Mar
kets reports larger number Of hogs
going from public markets to the
farms than last year.
Labor supply is rs per cent of the
usual, lowest in the east and central
sections. Supply below normal in ev-
cry county, much not so reliable as
formerly with disposition to bubble
over the pay, hours, and other condi-
tions. Demands for farm labor 2 per
cent above usual requirements, great
est demand coming from the north
west and northeast. Farmers are ev-
identity hardening their determination
to cut down grain crops and thinking
seriously of resting their farms as
well as themselves
Land rents higher than formerly.
Average charge for pasture, $1.70 per
acre per head of live stock. Corn land
average, So per acre, oats SIS and
wheat $3.50 for money rents. Crop
rent on corn ranges from one-fourth
to three-fourths, wheat one-third to
two-thirds and oats one-third to one
half, the rates depending upon the fer
tility of the SOIL. Lowest cash rents
in the west and southwest.
Fruit prospects suffered severe
setback from the Easter storm with
the damage to peaches ranging from
40 to rs per cent in the Koshkonong
district and in southern sections from
total loss of the farm crop down to
an estimated loss of Is per cent. Loss
in apples has been severest in the
southwestern sections and near Leb-
anon and st. Joseph, with the damage
in other sections ranging from 10 per
cent to so per cent. The Missouri
river section seems to have escaped