The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-05-16
WINTER " HEAT
CROP FORECAST
IS BELOW 1921
Late Spring and Severe
Winter Cut Down Prob
able Yield; Hay Also
Less.
By JULIUS H. JACOBSON

The salient features of this months
agricultural report are: l. Winter
wheat production forecast less by one
and fourth million bushels that 1921
crop. 2. Hay crop less by $4,000
tons than last year. 3. Farm work
greatly delayed because of backward
spring, only IS per cent of the spring
seeding being completed, compared
with So per cent of the same date
last year. 4. Mortality of live stock
past year uniformly high for all class
es than in previous year.
Winter Wheat
As a result of loss of per cent of
the seeded acreage of winter wheat in
Idaho by winter killing and May
condition Of only SO per cent of nor
NAL, the production forecast for this
crop is one and fourth million bush
els less than the 1921 crop of 1O,25O,OOO
bushels: The percentage winter killed
is double that of last year but points
below the severe winter of 1920 when
10 per cent of the seeded acreage was
abandoned or reseeded to other crops
Present condition of the crop is rather
low in view of the fact that a year
ago 81 per cent of normal was report
ed, while the ten-year average May LIST
condition is o5 per cent Evidently
the generally dry weather prevailing
during seeding last fall prevented nor
NAL development of a large acreage
and left the plants in a condition too
weakened to withstand the unusually
low temperatures of March and April
Losses by winter killing were most
severe in the northern and southeast
ern counties where it amounted to 8
and g per cent, respectively, of the
seeded acreage.
The United States winter wheat
crop is forecast at 584, 1913, 900 bushels,
which exceeds last years crop by
2,23o,O00 bushels and the past five
year average by 6 million bushels.
Hay
The first forecast of hay production
this season indicates crop of
$4,000 tons, while last year there
was harvested from Idaho hay fields
a total Of $4,000 tons. About per
cent of the tame and 8 per cent of
the wild hay acreage has been plowed
up. A late, cold spring is responsible
for the condition of 90 per cent of nor
NAL, while year ago reports indicat-
ed that the hay crop was 90 percent
of its normal condition. The immense
crop of 1921 has been fairly we'll clean
ed up as correspondents report only
9 per cent, or $4,000 tons, remaining
on farms. Last year 18 percent, OF
$4,000 tons, of the 1920 crop was still
on hand May 1st In this connection
it is interesting to note that the aver
age price of alfalfa hay for the whole
state was 5000 ton last Januar,
but in April the average had increased
to $500 per ton. The largest crop o
hay in the history of the State wa
produced in 1921 but marked in
crease in feeding activities, togethe
with very late spring, which neces
STATED an unusually long feeding per
iod, cleaned up all hay supplies il
many sections and resulted i'm ar
actual shortage of feed before live
stock could be turned out on pasture
and ranges. In some western countie
where supplies were large, alfalfa ha
been bought up at around $500 pc
ton in the stack to be held for feeding
next winter. since it is anticipated tina
prices will be higher at that time.