South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-13
Farm Activities in Indiana Are
Off to Very Late Start Says
u. S. Department of Agriculture
Wet Weather, Hog Mortality
and Floods Hit Indiana
Farmers Hard.

Z = - ~@-rAN -fat+AA Ia r AaAA Dam
Farm work al over the state ot
Indiana Is getting a late start this
year, according 70 the L. s. Depart
ment OF Agriculture monthly report,
released today.
Winter wheat. rye and tame hay
IN Indiana show a considerable IN
crease IN the Indicated production
over the final outrun OF these crops
for 1921, according to reports for
May I, received by the cooperative
crop reporting service and made
public today. Rye and hay acreares
show a small increase over last year.
but the wheat acreage is somewhat
less. Spring blowing and planting
are far behind the usual schedule
and practically no corn ground IS
prepared. Live stock is about as
usual except the mortality OF swine
during the past year was quite heavy.
The report follows:
OF the 2.05S. 900 acres or wheat,
last fall, there Will be abandoned ap-
proxfmately 102. 900 acres or so per-.
cent, according TO reports received
May l. leaving 1881. 900 acres Tor
harvest. compared with 2,OlR.O0O
acres harvested IN 1921 and 100000
acres harvested IN 1920. The prin-
cfpaI reason for abandonment IS At
tributed TO floods and excessive rains
filing low places IN fields and killing
the plants. Hessian fly damage was
reported from only a few localities
and practically no damage was caus-
ed by freezing weather during the
winter. The condition OF tho crop on
May I. was 50 percent OF normal
and indicates a total production for
the state of 34s42.OOO bushels.
which is about the average for the
state. The final estimate OF lazo
years production was 24,144,o0O
bushels.
The rye acreage for grain IN In
diana this year amounts 70 315 900
acres and is an increase OF approx
fmately 1000 acres over last year.
The condition was 80 percent Of nor
NAL on May 1, and indicates a total
production OF 4.sO9. 900 bushels. com
pared with 3,972,OOO bushels harvest
ed last year and 1892. 600 bushels in
1920.
The tame hay acreage in Indiana
shows an increase Of approximately
$1,000 acres over Lass year and
amounts 70 2,316.00O acres. The
wild hay acreage IS practically the
same as last year and amounts 70
approximately $1,000 acres The
condition OF all hay on May / was "a
percent OF normal end indicates a
production Of 100000 tons Of tame
hay and $1,000 tons n wild hay.
Last years final estimate on the pro
duction OF tame hay was 2.429. 900
tons and I'm 1920 Il was 2.844. 900
tons There is 14.5 percent of last
years crop still on farms and
amounts TO approximately 355. 0OR
tons, which IS somewhat IN excess or
the usual amount at this time Of the
year.
W 70 May [, only % percent Of
the blowing for spring planting and
sowing had been done in the state.
AL Of which was seeded 70 oats or
barley. No ,orn ground ha1 been
prepared at this tire. For this cate
IL is TIE least ground under pr5oara-
ton for mary years. and IS attrih-
uted 10 wet condition OF the soil re-
sulting from heavy and continuous
rams during March and April.
Pastures on May !. were reported
IS percent % normal in Indiana.
compared with 90 percent for the
same date last year.
The morta ~ O. live stock in IN
diana during the past year was
slightly in excess o. the rate for the
preceding year. being IS per 900
for horses and mules from disease;
for cattle Il was IS per 1000 from dis
ease and . per 1000 for exposure:
for sheep It was 26 per 1000 from
i disease and 10 per 1000 from ex-
/ posure and for lambs IL was So per
1000 from both disease and eE-
posure. Swine OF all ages shows
heavy mortality rate for the year
being IS per 1000 from disease ard
I is attributed 10 a severe outbreak 9t
cholera in practically all sections OF.
/ the state late last fall.
/ Th3 condition Of I've stock IN In
diana on May 1. compared with nor
nal was 96 percent for horses ard
mules, 80 percent for cattle. % per-
cent for sheep and % percent for
swine.
Farm conditions IN Indiana have
/ changed but little during the month.
I Practically all the oats were seeded
from two 70 three weeks later thsn
usual and no corn ground worth
mentioning has been prepared 20
date, which may have 2 tendency -
/ decrease che acreage q this ina
/ portant crop. Conditions - the bot
tom lands are far from satisfactory
las operations there cannot be START
I ed before the middle OF tho month.
/ because OF the wet soil.