Evening star., 1922-04-16
Farmers Are Planting Normal Crops,
Despite Losses Suffered Through Slump

During the last year many farmers
have found that the exchange ratio
of the things they trade their prod
ucts for and their products varied 80
that they could not even pay taxes
and interest with nothing left for
his labor. Now the exchange ratio
is coming closer together. factory
prices are debating and farm prices
are coming up. SO we are approach
ing the time when there was the best
relationship that ever existed-for
few years before the world war, in
1909, 1912 and 1913, when the ex.
change values pretty evenly balanced
The farmer had three good years
in 1917, 1918 and 1919, and then he ex-
perienced the worst slump in the his
tory of American agriculture. As soon
as he sees he is going to have some
thing left after paying taxes and in.
terest he will be happy. He thinks
now that that time is coming. so the
outlook for good planting is better
now than it was few months ago.
Reports on both staple and truck
crops show this. The acreage plant
ed in winter wheat is much larger
than before the war. This year 1t is
44,2s3,000 acres, last year it was a.
$4,000 acres. The highest ever was
in 1919. when production was stimu:
lated by record prices-50, 4s9. 900 acres.
Before the war. from 1910 to 1914. it
ran from 31.000.000 to $4,000, 900 acres.
ico a nl sh
is big increase this year up to 5.1s4,-
600 acres. while before the war it ran
about 100000 to 100000, SO that
the planting is about double the pre-
war normal.
LIVE STOCK AS EVIDENCE
OF RURAL OPTIMISM.
Live stock also shows the farmers
optimism. From every 500 received
for farm products $50 is for live stock
or live stock products. Statistical re-
ports show a big increase in live stock
for farm labor is another indication.
The demand this year is greater IL
anything than last year. and the sup
ply of labor is much larger, so 1T
seems that there is going to be full
amount Of work done on the farm.
Reports on truck crops are the most
up-to-date and reliable. Commercial
production of early Irish potatoes in
Florida and the lower valley of Texas
this year is forecast at $500 cars by
the Department of Agriculture, an in
crease of more than 100 per cent over
| the quantity harvested in 1921, which
was 1868 cars.
Production of Bermuda onions is
forecast at 6.S21 cars of $50 crates
each. as compared with $500 cars in
| 1921. The Florida cucumber crop is
placed at 3.136,o00 crates. to be har-
| vested from 10.460 acres. as compared
with a crop of 1.52S.0eo crates from
! s, 400 acres in 1921.
Strawberry production in early prd-
ducing states is estimated at 3,074
cars, as compared with 2.240 cars har-
vested last year. The average condi-
ton Of the crop April 1 is placed at
30 per cent Of normal, as compared
with a seven-year April 1 average of
81 per cent. The average condition
of the cabbage crop April 1 is placed
at IS per cent of normal, as compared
with a seven-year April 1 average OF
20 per cent. The condition Of truck
crops generally range from 6s per
cent on cantaloupes to "a per cent on
asparagus.
The only estimated reduction in
production is on lettuce. 1t is esti-
mated that there will be 11.453 cars of
this commodity as compared with
1896 cars last year. The April crop
report of condition of Florida and
California fruits and vegetables shows
an Improvement In all commodities
reported except pineapples in Florida
and lemons in California