Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-25
Progress of the Crops.
Weekly Crop Bulletin Of the Agricultural
Bureau Omaha Chamber Of Commerce.

The third week in July is probably the
most important week of the season In
its effect on crops. This is because IL Is
the climax of the season throughout the
main part of the corn belt and the 'fin.
ishing Off period in the spring wheat
country This condition emphasizes the
SURPRISING value of a great fall or ram
such as came to the lower Missouri val
ley on July II and IS. Those midsummer
showers almost assure the corn crop in
an area of $4,000 square miles In which
corn is the leading crop. Unfortunately
all parts of the corn belt did not share
in this splendid rainfall. and there are
very considerable areas on the west wa
tershed' of the Mississippi river drainage
area, the head OF Lake Michigan and
the lower Ohio valley where the extreme
heat continued till late in the week. with
the prevalent drouthy conditions becom-
ing daily more serious. Doubtless west
ern Kentucky and Tennessee and south
ern Indiana have suffered most Of any.
Pastures have failed in much Of that
territory SO that feeding live stock Is
necessary. A similar condition exists IN
southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois,
northeastern Missouri and considerable
area adjoining in Iowa Is very much in
need of rain. The corn crop In those
districts is not seriously damaged as yet.
though II Is below normal as prospect.
The injury is most apparent in the yield
Of oats, potatoes and hay, and the fall
ure of pastures
Harvesting and threshing made rapid
progress in all districts except in the
area Of Kansas and Nebraska, where the
work was stopped by the heavy rain OF
Sunday last. Western Nebraska and
eastern Colorado had fine weather for
winter wheat harvesting and report some
very good yields. This week will probably
complete the winter wheat harvest in
the high attitudes, with generally a very
good crop and less than normal loss from
hail.
The cotton states have had very sat.
isfactory weather conditions. The vest
ern district had ample showers in the
Red river valley and while Texas got
but little rain its farming areas are not
much in need. The eastern cotton states
have had full relief from the drouth ex-
cept in small areas and all growing crops
show improvement. The slow growth Of
cotton and tobacco through the drouth
period gave opportunity for much insect
damage. and the cotton boil weevil, not
heretofore found in the uplands Of the
Carolinas. is doing some damage in that
district. In considerable areas Of both
the gulf and Atlantic coast plains. where
there has been much rain lately, cotton
Is not fruiting heavily, and upon the
whole the cotton crop promises only .
moderate yield.
New England and the north Atlantic
states have had showers generally. and
in many districts enough rain to ma
terfally improve conditions. The Lake
Ontario district and the st. Lawrence
valley. however, report the drouth un.
broken.
The Pacific coast and most Of the In
ter-mountain states have had nothing to
interfere with their harvesting opera
tions. The Puget sound country had
Temperatures below normal, which fur
ther benefited its large orchard interests,
as both apples and pears are growing
we'll and maturing slowly. They promise
largely to supply the fruit failure Of the
corn belt states. New York state and
Michigan report promising fruit prospects.
All the range states report abundance
of feed on the ranges except the extreme
southwest. Grass IL rapidly curing un-
der prevailing weather conditions, and
live stock is doing better than usual A
large second crop of alfalfa Is being
harvested. and all other irrigated crops
are making fine progress, with generally
ample water FOR irrigation.