Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-24
Major Catastrophe Is in
Sight Unless Drought Is
Broken, Say Experts.
TEXAS AND ARKANSAS
FORM WESTERN EDGE
Crops Burn and Pastures Dry Up
Eastward and Northward
Over Large Section.
BY THOMAS R. HENRY.

Gripped by drought without pre-
cedent in half century, a large see
ton of the East Central United States
now is on the brink of major catas-
trophe. it was revealed at the United
States Weather Bureau today.
Roughly, the area extends from Gen.
trail Ohio on the north 20 the Tonnes
see line on the south, and east and
west from the western border of Vir-
ginia to Central Missouri.
= In all this territory, the Weather
Bureau records show, during the grow.
ing season from March / to the pres
ent. the rainfall has been only from 81
to 40 per cent Of the normal for the
past so years. 1t has been below SO
per cent of normal since December /.
Even Tobacco willis.
Pastures are dry. Cattle are being
fed out of the Winter stores of grain
and fodder, or else sold at a sacrifice.
The corn is whiting and the drought
Is preventing polarization, without
which there can be no grain. Even to-
bacco, the most drought-resistant crop
OF all, is whiting. Only immediate rain
can save thousands of farmers from
ruin.
The present drought is cumulative
according to Weather Bureau meteorol-
ogfsts, and there Is no certainty that
the vicious circle will be broken before
early Winter. On the other hand
something may happen which viii
bring rain in few days
During the past nine weeks the
drought has spread considerably south
OF this area in exaggerated form. East
Texas, North Louisiana and Mississippi
have had only from to 20 per cent
Of the normal rainfall. Northeast
Arkansas has had only from Q to z per
cent. Most of Kentucky, Tennessee and
Alabama have had from 20 to 40 per
cent OF the normal precipitation at this
time OF the year.
Havoc In Wheat Fields.
Extending westward, drought and
heat together have wrought havoc in
the wheat fields. In Iowa alone. ac-
cording to reports to the Weather Bu-
reau, more than 10000 horses died in
the fields week ago.
The story OF the distress of the
stricken section Is told in a flood of let
terS 70 the weather Bureau and in re-
ports from field agents. Some of these.
gathered by j. B. Kincer, chief of the
agricultural division, are as follows for
this week:
West Virginia--Corn short, yellow.
rolled and poor. Pastures and meadows
burned and brown.
Ohio--Pastures burned up. Hay and
oat crops very short. Rapid deteriora-
ton of corn crop. Much premature
tasseling under conditions where eff
fective colonization is impossible.
nlinois-In south deterioration OF
corn crop general; much firing and
some beyond redemption.
Indiana-Upland corn In practically
all sections badly fired or rolled, with
tassels burned. Most late corn at criti-
cal stage and requiring rain within a
week.
Kentucky - Corn crop practically
ruined in central and northeast. To-
bacco very poor, blooming prematurely
and firing.
Same Story From Other States.
The same story comes from all the
States in the affected area, and the
Weather Bureau can offer little con-
ISOLATION because the drought seems
more likely to increase than end.
1t will end, the meteoroligists say
when it starts to rain. This isn't in
tended as a fiippant answer to very