South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-17
AGRICULTURE
WHEAT CONDITION
IN INDIANA IS
VERY DISCOURAGING
Only 90 Percent of Acres
Seeded Will Produce
Crop.

The condition Of the wheat crop
IA Indiana IS very discouraglng, &C
cording 20 the monthly report OF
the cooperative crop reporting ser
vice issued today. Only 60 percent
Of the $780, 900 acres seeded last
fall will make a paying crop. the
other 20 percent may return the
seed under favorable weather con
ditiona RE Is about an average
crop. Brood sows are being sold az
an alarming extent and farm hands
are practically unObtainable The
report follows:
The outlook for winter wheat in
Indiana this year is very discourag-
ing; the condition as compared with
normal being only 90 percent. In
some counties the crop is almost a
failure. while I'm others, where
weather conditions for seeding al
the proper time We're favorable. il
is fairly good. The early sOWn
wheat. which apprOximates 25 per
cent Of the 1850, 900 acres seeded
was badly infested with Hessian fly
last fall and will not much more
than return the seed Unless very
favorable weather Is had from now
on. Fail rains and floods in the
ing IN those sections 20 the extent
OF is percent OF the acreage, which
can not make much Of a crop even
with favorable weather conditions
The remaining 90 percent Of the
acreage which was seeded at the
proper time. under favorable wealth
er conditions has been damaged 10
some extent by freezing and thaw-
ing and by ice staying too long on
H.
fields in the north part Of the state
VIII be disked and seeded with oats
or barley and some that ordinarily
wOul6 be seeded 10 other crops will
be iet stand because OF the shortage
OF labor.
Rye Is Good.
Neither weather conditions or in
sects have damaged the rye TO any
great extent. While some OF il has
been pastured pretty heavily, II all
seems 20 be coming out in good
shape and will make about an aver
age crop, The condition at this
time IS 81 percent OF normal.
Continued declining markets, the
high price OF feed and sows not do
ing we'll at narrowing time has in
fiuenced farmers 20 sell their brood
sOws to an alarming extent At the
present time there are only Sc per
cent as many on farms as April /,
1919, and the reduction still going
on. Due 10 the extreme cold wealth
ere this spring, the sows are farrow-
ing small. weak filters and the loss
OF pigs Is much greater than usual
The number OF farm hands IS only
80 percent OF the supply on April l.,
1919, while the requirements com
pared with last year are 90 percent
This condition is due primarily TO
the higher wages and shorter hours
men can secure in cities. At the
present time single men are practi-
cally unObtainable at any price In
some instances married men can be
secured where good tenant houses
are located on the farm, but these
mon are usually employed by the
year and do not help much where
temporary labor is wanted
The 1920 Outlook.
The agricultural outlook for Indi-
ana this year Is not very bright
Many OF the larger farmers are
renting fields where possible, but
when this can rot be done they will
lie idle because of the shortage Of
farm labor, and Will only attempt
TO crop such ACREAGE as they can at
tend with the assistance OF their i'm
mediate family. It should be stated
however. that a great many OF these
farmers have purchased much i'm
proved machinery and win be able
10 crop more land single-handed
than heretofore The fail blowing
was nearly up TO the average. but
the ground was frozen deep all dur
ing the winter and nothing was ac-
Complished along this line. The
spring opened very late and farmers
are very much behind with spring
blowing Because OF the continued
propaganda for lower food prices
farmers feel that they viii secure as
much or more money for a small
crop as for large one. This with
no necessity for feeding the people
OF other countriese has decided the
farmer TO lease up on his efforts
and he will not put In the long hours
OF hard work that ne did during the
war period. There IS also the neCes-
Sity 10 get back 10 the pre-war status
OF rotating the crops. More than
500. 900 acres of grass lands taken
for crops during the past two years
will undoubtedly be returned 90
grasses and pastures this year. In
dJRstrtal centers are robbing the
rural districts OF all single men, who
go into the cities where shorter
hours and higher wage rates prevail.
IN the mining districts many farms
have been entirely aband oned and
the men have gone into the mines
20 work. Empty houses on farms
are fully 10 percent greater than n
year ago. Road building and other
public work Is given az one OF the
principal reasons for the shortage
OF farm labor. Looking at the sit
uation from all angles. II Is apparent
that food and live stock prod
Will be curtailad fully 5 percent as
compared with the past two yearo.
The wheat and rye condition in
this county compared with normal
and the percent or breeding sows
compared with April I. 1919, and
with the usual number Of that date
follows: Wheat 60. rye 90: percent
OF breeding sows 90, which IS 81
percent OF the usual breeding.
-AS A MAN THTNKETH."