The Lamar register., 1922-01-11
GOVERNMENT CROP REPORT
FOR DECEMBER, 1921

That Colorado farmers have plant
ed about the usual acreage of winter
wheat, is shown in the Cooperative
Federal State Crop Report just issued
by w. w. Putnam, Agricultural Sta
tistician. of the U. s. Bureau of Mar
kets and Crop Estimates. The pre-
liminary estimate of winter wheat
sown in the autumn of 1921 is placed
at ,466, 900 acres compared with l.
496 900 acres sown in the fall of 1920,
and about ,0T3 900 acres sown in the
autumn of 1919. A low condition of
76 per cent is shown compared with
81 per cent year ago, and a ten-year
average of 81 per cent, and was due
to the extremely dry weather that
prevailed in much of the important
winter wheat growing portions of the
state, and especially in the northeast
ern counties during the period from
June l to December 1. The rainfall
in the plains sections has been below
normal, and the average moisture con-
tent of the soil was estimated to be
only about 20 per cent, compared with
80 per cent year ago. Lack of mois-
ture was unfavorable to fall plowing,
and reports indicate only about 20
per cent compared with 27 per cent
in 1920. The price of Colorado wheat
for December 1 was 76 cents per BUSH
el, compared with S1.35 at the same
time the year before.
Preliminary estimates of the area
sown to fall rye in the state is 10000
acres and the condition is 70 per cent,
compared with S5 per cent last year,
and 92 per cent, the ten-year average
for this date.
For the United States, the area sown
to fall wheat in the autumn of 1921
is 1925, 900 acres, which is IL per
cent less than the revised estimated
area sown in the fall of 1920, placed
at A SAT 900 acres. Owing to the
poor condition of the crop in many of
the leading winter wheat states, the
condition of the entire country on De-
cember 1, was only rs per cent. com
pared with 87.9 per cent year ago,
and a ten-year average of SO per cent.
Kansas, the leading state, with H.
569 900 acres, slight increase in area
over last year, has condition of only
go per cent compared with So per cent
year ago, and ten-year average OF
81 per cent Oklahoma, third, with 81
$4,000 acres, nearly 100000 acres less
than last year, has a condition of 81
per cent, compared with sc per cent
last year. Texas, with an acreage OF
1.734 900 acres, about 40O, 900 less than
in 1920, shows condition of az per
cent compared with SO per cent in the
fall of 1920. On the other hand, Indi-
ana, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, and Ne
braska, with acreages ranging from
2,053.0 900 to 3,954,O0O, and aggregat-
ing over 100000 acres, have credit
able condition figures, around so Ia
SO, and well up to the ten-year aver
age figures for these states.
Farm labor wages have been great
ly reduced during the past year, but
still are about 30 per cent above 1913
about 20 per cent above 1916, and 6
per cent below the average for 1917
The average rate per month with
board during 1921 was $4,000 compar.
ed with s65.O0 during 1920. The rate
per day for harvest labor with board
averaged s2.75 as compared with s4.5C
in 1920; without board S3.55, compar.
ed with 1896 last year. Wages by the
day for other than harvest work with
board was s2.1O, compared with s3.7(
last year; without board about $2.SE
per day compared with $3.50 in 1920