Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-08-28
LOW CONDITION
OF VIRGINIA CROPS
August Report Shows Hurt BY Long
Drought


The outstanding feature of the Au-
gust report of the Virginia Crop Re-
porting Service is the low condition
of all crops which is a result of the
long drought. Rains the last part of
July were quite beneficial, but came
too late to help early corn and bright
tobacco to any great extent. The out
look on August / for corn, tobacco,
and late hay crops was very poor;
but favorable season during August
will cause much improvement, al
though these crops can hardly make
average yields. The central and
southern districts have suffered most
from the dry weather, while the
counties in the Norfolk section and
those in the northern district have
had a favorable season and crops are
quite promising.
The corn crop, which was quite
promising on July /, suffered serious
damage from the hot, dry weather.
In many sections of the central and
southern districts early crops were
an entire failure, while in other dis
tricts the rains came just in time to
save the crop from total loss. Corn
on river and creek bottoms did not
suffer so much, and now promises an
excellent yield. The August / con-
dition of 65 per cent of normal indi-
Gates. production of 39,462,OOO
bushels, compared with 37,0S6,0O0
last year. The forecast for the United
States is 2,950,340,000 bushels
against 5000 bushels last
year and 2,934,649, 200 bushels, the
average for the five years 1920-24.
Threshing Returns
Threshing returns show that the
wheat crop was much better than had
been expected, and the crop in the
central and southern districts yield
ed better than for many years. The
average yield for the State is report
ed to be 40 bushels per acre COM
pared with 1871 bushels last year and
12.4, the ten-year average A total
production of 1O,934,O0O bushels is
indicated while the crop last year was
8 ,62S,000 bushels The average farm
price this year on July l 5 was S1.5S
per bushel against S120 last year.
The quality of the wheat is also unu-
sually good. The August l forecast
for the United States indicates one
of the smallest crops in years, so the
total production of both winter and
spring wheat will furnish very little
for export after home demands have
been supplied. The estimated pro-
duction of all wheat is 67S,446,0OO
bushels, compared with 2,673,O 600
bushels last year and S37,116,0O0
the five-year average production.
Hay
All hay crops were materially dam
aged by the dry weather, and the
yield per acre for clover and timothy
is only one-half as much as was made
last year. Virginia farmers will have
smaller supplies of hay this year than
has been the case for a number of
years. The dry weather prevented
the usual acreage of late crops being
planted, and the season has been I'M
favorable for the growth of soy beans
and cow peas which are the princi-
pal late varieties. These crops, how
ever will show considerable improve
ment if the season is favorable dur
ing the next month. The condition
of pastures is the lowest for many
years There has been a slight i'm
provement in the northern and south
western district where local showers
have revived the grass to some ex-
tent. In the central and southern
districts pastures were completely
dried up and afforded no grazing
for stock, so many farmers have been
feeding during the past month
Whlle pastures were quite short in
the principal grazing sections, the
condition of cattle is reported to be
fairly good.
Fruits
All fruits promise smaller pro-
duction than last year. The total
apple crop is estimated to be 1924
900 bushels, compared with 1884
600 bushels last year and 9,692,0OO
the five-year average The farm or
chards have fewer apples than usual,
while the larger crops are found in
the commercial sctions The peach
crop is very much smaller than last
var, owing to frost damage in the
spring. The total production is esti-
mated to be $4,000 bushels, COM
pared with 1.21S,000 bushels last
year and 10000 the average for the
past five years. The production of