The Washington times., 1923-12-20
FARM SITUATION
IS GRADUALLY
IMPROVING
Loan Board Review Of AgricuI-
ture Cause for
Optimism.
BY ROBERT s. THORNBURGH
international NewS Service.

| Federal Farm Loan Board, declared
yesterday following a conference
with the presidents of the Federal
Land Banks.
Cooper summarized conditions by
| districts as follows:
First district-New England, New
York, and New Jersey: Improve
ment, but high industrial wageA
result in shortage of farm labor,
Price Of milk Increased over last
| year. Good tobacco crop with fair
| price. Market gardening better
| than normal. Condition of fruit
| and potato growers not SO salts.
| factory. All commodities served by
cooperative marketing associations.
Second district-Maryland, Della
ware, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Pennsylvania. General conditions
favorable. Farm product prices
advanced. Farmers meet obligations
promptly. Agricultural credit cor
J. porations in process of organization
as means of approach to intermedi-
ate credit banks. Tobacco growers
desperation association ID granted
loans in sum ofga$5, 100000. r. u. stse. !.
lssoutlisgn DistrictsG s.sts.
:. Third i district North CaroHna,
South Carolina, Georgia and Flor
ida: Conditions better than for past
three wears. Collections satisfac-
tory. III North Carolina production
of cotton, corn, and soy beans, good
with favorable market. South Car
DINA cotton crop 40 per cent in
excess of last year with good mar
ket. Conditions in northern Geor-
eia improved, although in southern
mart boil Weevil damage and ex.
cessive rain have greatly reduced
cotton production. Same condition
obtains in western Florida. In
southern Florida conditions salts
factory. All staple agricultural
commodities served by cooperative
marketing associations.
Fourth district - Ohio, Indiana,
Kentucky and Tennessee: MarKeo
Improvement, although cost OF Iarn1
labor in industrial sections presents
problem. Crops fairly good. Some
holl weevil damage in Tennessee. To-
bacco Weld good; dairying developed
and diversification encouraged Col
lections good and strong demand for
money. Cooperative associations
active.
Fifth NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Mississip-
ri and Alabama: Conditions better
than a, year ago, although cotton SUI
fered severely from boil WeevIl ana
unfaVorable weather. Sugar ana rice
situation favorable. Collections good
and strong demand for money. NO
serious shortage of farm labor with
diversificatiOn noticeable.
West Improving.
Sixth district-Illinois, Missouri
and Arkansas: General conditions
slightly improved over last year. Dis
trict suffered from prices and crop
conditions. In Illinois large wheat
crop and low price. Corn damaged
very high. Missouri has good corn
crop, but only fair price. Arkansas
produced about so per cent of nor
NAL cotton crop, due to weather ana
boil weevil. Dairying, fruit, soy
beans and broom-corn sections show
more favorable condition. Tendency
toward diversification.
Seventh Observation-Disclosures, Mime
| sofa, North Dakota and wisconsin,
Agricultural and economic conditions
satisfactory except in northwest sec.
| ton of Minnesota, and In North
Dakota where wheat is the principal
crop, was seriously injured by black
rust. In North Dakota diversified
ton and good prices indicate i'm
proved conditions. Crops such as
| flax, sweet clover, hay and corn are
excellent, and farmers with cattle
/ dairy cows, sheep and poultry are
prosperous. Collections satisfactory
Corn Crop Very Good.
Eighth district-Iowa, Nebraska,
South Dakota and Wyoming: Con.
ditions satisfactory except in north.
ern South Dakota, where wheat
crop is of poor quality. Corn crop
| very good, western part of district
having largest yield in many years
| and price good. Prices for live
stock, poultry and dairy products
satisfactory. Cattle ranch1nen are
slowly recovering from losses sus-
tanned from 1919 to 1922. Collec.
tons good.
Ninth Observation-Disclosures, Kansas
New Mexico and Oklahoma: Agri-
| cultural conditions materially i'm
proved over last year. Cost of
machinery presents big problem.
| Demand for loans decreased. Cot.
ton section of New Mexico pros
porous. Rains in New Mexico, west.
ern Kansas and eastern Colorado
have broken long drouth.
Tenth district-Texas: General
conditions better than year ago.
| Cotton section, on account of high
price, prosperous in spite of de-
crease in yield. Wheat sections dis
appointed on account of low yield
and low price. Inactive market
and low price have depressed cat
tie raising. Collections satisfactory.
Eleventh district-Arizona, Cali
fOrnia, Nevada and Utah: Condi-
year. Fruitmen of California maxi
ing no profit and suffering losses.
High freight rates are heavy tax
on agriculture. The dairymen and
poultrymen have had n better wear
than last. The cattle ranchmen of
Arizona in bad condition. Sugar
beet growers in Utah have good
crop, with prospect of fair price.
Twelfth district-Idaho, Montana,
Oregon and Washington: Condi.
tons better than year ago. Wheat
harvest largest in history of North.
west; the same true as to Dr0duc.
ton of livestock and fruits. Dairy.
ing and poultry on increase. Cost
of transportation, however, con-
sumes large portion Of the farmers
profits. Apple crop in Oregon and
Idaho large, but price uncertain
and unsatisfactory.
Reports Of the bank presidents
indicate a general Improvement and
there is every reason to believe