Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-09
Drought Situation in y. S.
Food Supply of Nation Is ample and in No Danger,
but Live Stock Feed Conditions Are Critical,
Agricultural Department Finds.

/
as Of August /, 1890, made public at the
| White House last night follows:
Considered in its broader aspects.
the 1880 drought does not present seri-
bus problem Of food supply for the Ma
| ton The Winter wheat crop already
J harvested is ample. The Spring wheat
crop, while it has undoubtedly deteri-
| Grated perhaps as much as 10 per cent
during the month of July, should still
be nearly equal to domestic food re-
uuirementS. While the crop of potatoes
| in the intermediate States is not large,
the late crop in commercial sections of
the Northern States gives promise of a
fair to good yield. The rice crop has
not been seriously affected. Most of the
acreage of edible beans Is outside the
drought area. The Winter supply of
fresh vegetables from Southern sources
will not be planted for some time. The
crop of canning tomatoes, while
short, is not seriously so. The crop
of canning peas has already been
harvested and was produced north of
the drought area. The early crop Of
canning beans was only fair; the late
canning bean crop Is produced outside
the drought area. Fruit crops are not
large, but are not small enough to con-
stitute shortage, particularly since the
California and other Pacific State fruit
crops give good promise. However, in
the drought area, the near failure of
farm gardens and other crops grown
for home food supply for the Fall
months and Winter is causing want and
hardship to many individuals.
Feed Production for Livestock.
The critical aspect of the drought
situation lies in the inadequate produc-
ton of feed for livestock in certain
areas of the country. For the United
States the outlook late in July points
of an average crop of the feed grains.
corn, oats, barley and grain sorghum;
about 85 per cent of an average produc-
ton of hay; or combined feed produc-
ton of approximately 80 per cent. For
the country as whole prospective feed
supply at this date considered by itself
does not appear to be particularly
alarming, but is critical in certain areas
indicated on the maps attached to this
report. A further serious aspect of the
situation is the fact that pastures have
been unusually short in these areas and
are steadily becoming worse and that
farmers who did and will produce some
feed grain and forage have been COM
PEELED to utilize it for Summer feeding,
thereby depicting their supplies for the
coming Winter. An analysis by counties
indicates that up to the present time
the situation has not become critical in
the more important livestock producing
areas of the country.
Probable Feed in 1880.
I'm constructing the maps attached
hereto an allowance for probable de-
terioration during the month of July
on the basis of deterioration in former
hot, dry months of July has been made
Cor nNfa CHoGn 49,
there were available maps furnished by
the Weather Bureau on the rainfall
from March l to July 26 as q per-
centage of normal rainfall. Probable
production of feed grains in each State
in 1880 has been reduced to a single
figure expressed as percentage Of the
1ve-year average, 1924 70 1928. A
similar calculation was made for hay
and for feed grains and hay combined.
Lines have been drawn on the map
which indicate in q rough way the
maps indicate the portions of the
country on which the production win
be short this year. There are only
four sections in which it appears that
production will be average or better
Those are the New England States, q
small segment of the South Atlantic
Coast, a territory and adjacent por-
tons of South Dakota, Nebraska and
Iowa; and Arizona. Two sections Of
about so per cent of an average prc-
duction If weather conditions should
be average subsequent to August 1.
These are part of Montana, and q
segment paralleling the Ohio River
from Pennsylvania to its junction with
the Mississippi, and on down the Mis-
sissippi to the Gulf. A somewhat
wider band on either side of this seq
ment apparently will have from so to
80 per cent Of an average production.
The balance Of the country apparently
will fall within the range of 80 to 100
pes cent.
Conditions Of Pasture.
AN Interpolation of the condition
Of pasture, upon which the live stock
are. normally dependent for a consider
able portion Of their feed during the
Summer months, was made In a man.
ner similar to that made for feed grains
and hay. The Interpolation for August
was consolidated with the reported
condition figures for June and July
TO arrive at composite of pasture
conditions for the tWo-month period
OF June and July. AS might be ex-
pected the areas of deficient pasture
roughly coincide with the areas of
prospective short feed production. In
parts of these areas it is doubtful
whether the rainfall during the month
of August will greatly revive the
pastures inasmuch as the pasture
plants have been entirely killed out
New seedlings of clover and grass have
likewise suffered severely and next
years crop of hay and pasture is en-
dangered as a result.
Incomplete returns on condition of
pasture as Of August /, which have
since become available, indicate pasture
to be the lowest on record
Live Stock Numbers in 1880.
THE number of live stock in 1880 as
a percentage of the five-year average
Is shown on one of the maps attached.
1t is noted that for the United States
the numbers of 1880 are approximately
5 per cent below average. Only two
areas have as many or more than
average. These are Montana and
Wyoming, where. sheep numbers have
expanded as a result of the series of
comparatively good crop years, and
portion of the North Atlantic States
where the number of dairy cows and
heifers has been gradually increased
In South Dakota the number of live
stock is 10 per cent below average,
largely because of series of relatively
poor crop years In the Central Corn
Belt, from Ohio 10 Missouri, live stock
numbers are approximately per cent
below average, due largely to a decrease
in the hog numbers. Elsewhere live
stock numbers are below average by a
small percentage, except in isolated
cases, such as Oklahoma, Mississippi,
Nevada, Louisiana and Florida. OF
these States only Nevada is an impor-
tant live stock producing State.
Relation Of Live Stock Numbers.
THE coincidence OF relatively high
live stock numbers and low feed pro-
duction in the Montana Wyoming area
and in some of the Middle Atlantic