The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-04-10
SPRING OPENS LATE;
WHEAT OUTLOOK IS
BAD, REPORT SAYS

COnQlClOn Oh the wheat CIOp III III
diana is very discouraging, according
to the monthly report of the cooper
alive crop reporting service issued
today. Only 60 per cent OF the
100000 acres seeded last fall will
make a paying crop; the other 40 per
cent may return the seed under favor
able weather conditions. Rye is about
an average crop Brood sows are
being sold at an alarming extent and
farmhands are practically unobtain-
able. The report follows:
The outlook for winter wheat In In
diana this year is very discouraging;
the condition as compared with normal
being only SO per cent, indicating
crop of only 21,540,000 bushels. In
some counties the crop is almost
failure, while in others, where weather
conditions for seeding at the proper
time were favorable, it Is fairly good.
The early sown wheat, which approx
mates % per cent of the 100000
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.
Fall rains and foods in the south
part Of the state delayed seeding in
those sections to the extent or 10
per cent of the acreage. which can not
make much Of a crop even with faVor-
able weather conditions. The remain
ing 60 per cent of the acreage, which
was seeded at the proper time, under
unfavorable weather conditions, has
been damaged to some extent by freeZ-
ing and thawing and by ice staying too
long on the low places. Many of the
poorer fields in the northern part Of
the state will be disked and seeded
with oats or barley, and some that
ordinarily would be seeded to other
crops will be let stand because of the
shortage of labor.
Farmers Sell Sows.
Neither weather conditions or in
sects have damaged the rye to any
great extent. While some of it has
been pastured pretty heavily, it all
seems to be coming out in good shape
aud will make about an average crop.
The condition at this time Is so per
cent of normal and indicates a crop
of 4,706,000 bushels.
Continued declining markets, the
high price of feed and sows not doing
well at narrowing time has Influenced
farmers to sell their brood sows to an
alarming extent. At the present time
there are only sc per cent as many on
farms as April l, 1919, and the reduc-
ton still going on. Due to the ex-
treme cold weather this spring the
sows are narrowing small. weak filters
and the loss of pigs is much greater
than usual.
The number OF farm hands is only SO
Ter cent OF the supply on April I, 1919,
while the requirements compared with
last year are 100 per cent. This condi-
ton is due primarily to the higher
wages and shorter hours men can
secure in cities. At the present time
single men are practically unobtain-
able at any price. In some instances
married men can be secured where
good tenant houses are located on the
farm, but these men are usually en-
ployed by the year and do not help
much where temporary labor is
wanted.
The agricultural outlook for Indiana
this year is not very bright. Many Of
the larger farmers are renting fields
where possible, but when this can not
be done they will lie idle because of
the shortage of farm labor, and will
only attempt to crop such acreage as
they can attend with the assistance of
their immediate family. 1t should be
stated, however, that a great many or
these farmers have purchased much
improved machinery and will be able
TO crop more land single-handed than
heretofore. The fall blowing was near
~ up to The average, but the ground
was frozen all during the winter and
nothing was accomplished along this
Inc.
Spring Opens Very Late.
The spring opened very late and
farmers are very much behind with
spring blowing. Because of the con-
tinued propaganda for lower food
prices farmers feel that they will Sc
cure as much or more money for a
small crop as for large one. This,
with no necessity for feeding the
peoples Of other countries, has decided
the farmers to ease up on his efforts
and he will not put in the long hours
of hard work that he did during the
war period.
There also is the necessity to get
back to the pre-war status Of rotating
the crops More than 100000 acres OF
grass lands taken for crops during the
FAST two years will undoubtedly be re-
turned to grasses and pastures this
wear Industrial centers are robbng
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 abandoned and the
men have gone into the mines to work
Empty houses on farms are fully IL
per cent greater than year ago. Road
building and other public work is given
as one of the principal reasons for the
shortage of farm labor. Looking at the
situation from all angles it is apparent
that food and live stock production
will be curtailed fully Is per cent, as
compared with the past two years.
NO HOME GARDEN COMPLETE
wITLnIlI PI ENIX OE GREENS