Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-08
Progress of the Crops.
Weekly Crop Bulletin Of the Agricultural
Bureau Of Omaha Chamber Of
Commerce

Bureau OF Omaha Chamber Of
Commerce.
The outstanding feature Of crop condi-
tions Of the past week has been the COM
plete relief from drouth in the Missis.
sippi and Ohio valleys. The rains noted
in our last bulletin were followed by
further heavy precipitation in Iowa,
Illinois. Indiana and Ohio and in many
districts of Kansas, Missouri and Ken.
lucky though the country south and east
of st. Louis has not yet had enough rain
to bring relief The damage to the corn
crop throughout the district now relieved
from drouth may not be known for some
weeks. Very considerable damage Is ad-
mitted by state crop reporters. But the
corn plant has such a marvellous resource
for recovering from seasonal injury that
it is hard to believe that it will not ma
terially improve in all those districts
which have thus had abundance of rain
around the beginning of August. In the
western stretches Of the corn belt condi-
tions continue mainly very good, though
and the cool, cloudy weather has slowed
up development very noticeably. This is
no cause for anxiety, however, as every
where the corn is perhaps two weeks
ahead of normal seasonal development.
There is therefore no likelihood that fros.
injury may be anticipated at the close OF
the season.
In nearly all sections Of the country
tnreSnlNB OF small grain mas peen oSlHy eu
greatly by weather conditions. Some dam
age has been done to grain in shock by
sprouting. This damage Is easily over
estimated; yet 1t is an important factor
in crops which are none too good even
when no avoidable damage has been suf-
fered. The yield of the oat crop this
season is unusually light over the greater
part of the oats producing country. And
while there Is known to be large carry
over from last year, one finds it difficult
| to reconcile oat yields of 10 to 80 bushels
per acre in large producing states like
| Illinois and Iowa, with going price OF
20 cents per bushel for oats on the
farms. The old market regulators called
supply and demand will have some trouble
| to justify themselves in the minds OF
some farmers who are compelled to sell
oats to pay twine bills.
The south had a good week the
weather, which was generally dry and
| sunny, permitted outdoor work in all dis
| tricts and only few areas suffering from
| excessive rains OF previous weeks repor'
unfayorably. Southern Texas farmers are
| picking corn. Cotton is not making ma.
| terial improvement generally considered
as the reports OF shedding and boil weevi
| from important districts offset improve
ments elsewhere. The southern Farmers
nuts and others subordinate crops bettei
| resources than cotton and tobacco, theil
| so-called money CROP"
| Much Of the spring wheat country mas
|
Large districts, however, both IN Mime
| sofa and North Dakota, have had only
light showers. and the potato crop. whicf
is important in both states, promises yer!
| poorly. Threshng returns do not chang
| former opinions of small grain yields II
the spring wheat belt, and we shall ex,
pect the August estimate OF the Unitec
States Department Of Agriculture to b,
given out early this week. to be revised
distinctly downward to the extent o.
| as, 1000, 900 or 100000 bushels. Montana
| IL the only state showing improved spring
l wheat conditions.
The Pacific coast and mountain state:
have had no rain for some weeks excep'
l in the southern areas, where unusual mio
| summer rainfall has been the order fol
| much Of the season. Southern Utah ane
| Colorado and the adjacent region II
| Arizona and New Mexico bid fair to o'
ciassed as part Of the rain belt! But al
the rest Of the mountain states need rair
| badly for all dry farming interests. Graif
crops are made in all areas. however, ane
are mostly good crops. though large areas
| OF California and Washington give pooi
| dry farming returns. The irrigated DIS
tricts Of the west and the Missouri valley
will evidently be called upon to suppl,
the middle west with potatoes as thai
important food crop is an extremely pool
1 prospect In several states,