South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-22
INDIANA FARMERS
FORCED TO CHANGE
PLANS BY FLOODS
Waters Have Invaded One
Fifth of Area Of State
Heavy Time Loss.

I\DIANAPOLIS. April r. With
flood waters invading 5000 600 acres
-alomst one-Gfth of the area OF In
diana-and bringing field work to
"a staudstll Indiana farmers are fac
ing the necessity Of recognizing
their plans for tho years work. No
great crop damage i'm itself Is ex-
pected 600 the opinion OF agricultural
experts Of the state. but the financial
plight OF the farmers. with the lost
time already scored is regarded as
certain 20 result ion a reduced crop
acreage.
Each days work lost ON the 200. .
900 farms OF Indiana IS vicualized By
a. T. Christie of Purdue University by
reducing the loss 90 the terms OF the
work Of one man. and ON this basis
single DAYS means several hundred
years While farm work is COM
monty referred TO as thirty DAYS be-
hind time" the agricultural experts
do not regard this much time as
entirely lost George G.. Bryant. az
ricultural statistician for the state.
believes the lost time is about ten
days
The delay in farm work is not eX-
pected 20 be made up by hired hands
for officers of the Farmers Fedora
ton here point out that the econo-
mic status of the ACREAGE farmer.
due 20 the low price of last year has
left him unable to employ workers.
although they are plentiful. This
condition is regarded as certain to
result i'm more idle acres, the crop
land Of the state last year being ap-
proXimately 1900, 600 acres
Perhaps the most conspicuous
change i'm the face Of Indiana agri-
suiture this year viii be the small
crop OF oats. Usually. one and three
quarters million acres aro devoted
10 oats. and a reduction TO 500. 600
acres would not be a surprise The
million and a half acres lost in the
oats acreage may not remain idle.
some being turned into corn. with
some more going TO such late crops
ass soy beans. COW peas and buck
wheat
Generally. indiana farmers were
expected TO plant less than the
. 900 600 acres devited TO corn last
year because Of the low prices and
bumper crops Of the last few years
But this plan is regarded as upset
10y the flood waters preventing oats
planting which farm experts say
should be completed i'm late March
or early April Corn planting be-
gins with MAY. and a recession of the
flood waters is expected 10 leave the
ground SO saturated that no field
work can get under way for ten days
after the streams are back I'm their
banks
Wheat and hay. which with corn
and oats make mp the great bulk OF
Indiana farming. are expected to
have normal acreage each with
slightly more than . 900 600 acres
No serious damage 10 wheat the
only big crop now i'm the ground. is
feared from the hiEh water. for little
bottom land is devoted 10 this crop.
While all bottom land i'm the state
estimated 10 he about 600 600
been overtiown. and much
of it is still under water all Of this
big area is not devoted 20 crop rails
ing About half OF it-2 900 600
''Ni' ~ N"iN4NdttH. liostl\ ll 'otH-
The loss of the oat crop is due 20
the fact that planting Al this late
date would bring the crop to matur-
ity i'm July one month late. and the
hot weather of the midsummer. agri-
cultural experts say. would result IN
the grain turning largely to chaff-
a bushel according 10 cubicaI con-
tent. being about a half bushel on
the basis of weight.