The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-08
CHEAPER MEAT
FORECAST FOR
NEXT WINTER
Lack of Feed Expected to
Force Killing of Stock
by Farmers.
WHEAT CROP is SAFE
Fear of Food Shortage Is
Discounted by U. S.
Agriculture Chief.
BV Science Serrtce

bU SCfCHCB O6FItC6
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8. - No
danger of actual food shortage is
foreseen in the extreme drought
affecting crops in wide areas of the
United States, latest information
obtained at the United States de-
partment of agriculture indicates.
Luckily, the major portion Of the
wheat crop was harvested before
effects of the continued heat had
begun to tell and this means, at
least, an abundance of flour for
bread.
Possibility of potato shortage
still looms, but is not yet serious.
Meat, on the other hand, promises
to be cheap. In fact, the fear is that
it may be disastrously so for the
farmer, as pasture lands are suffer-
ing and prospects for a normal corn
crop lessen with each additional dry
day.
Two more weeks of drought would
mean that thousands of farmers
will be forced to kill their stock this
winter because they will not have
enough feed to last them through
until the next crop. Such forced
marketing of stock would have the
effect of lowering meat prices and
involve serious losses to stock
raiSerS.
Wheat in Good Shape
Supplies of wheat already har-
vested and the additional spring
crop that will be gathered from the
northern states, if the drought there
is not too prolonged, should partially
compensate for the corn crop short
age, however.
With the stock raising industry
the worts hit by the drought, milk
shortage might be expected, but
thus far the surplus supply of dairy
products has sufficed and stood the
dairymen in good stead in prevent
ing a price slump. Luckily, the dairy
communities of Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin, and northern Iowa have not
been among the worst hit, although
this season of the year normally is
one of reduced milk production.
Regions bordering the Ohio-Mis-
sissippi river system from Pittsburgh
to the Gulf and Montana and adj
jacent portions Of North Dakota are
worst hit by the heat wave and
three-quarters of the average crop
yield is the best that can be hoped
for from these sections. There still
is the possibility of crops above the
average from New York, the New
England states, and North and
South Carolina, while portions of
Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and
Nebraska may still be above par.
Hinges on Future Drought
But surrounding the area of ex-
IRENE drought on the borders Of
the Ohio and Mississippi, there is
a large section which will yield
slightly less than average crops,
probably about four-flfths the nor
NAL yield.
The picture painted for the whole
country is not so black, then, as
might be expected, though certainly
it does not look bright for many
communities
This reckoning is based only on
the present crop indications, how
ever, without a calculation of the
dire chances involved in continued
and widespread drought. If there
is no relief from the heat, the pres
ent picture is too optimistic.
Chances Of a hot, dry August
following a hot, dry July are only
one in eight, however, judging from
the records of past years.
While offering this reinsurance
for what it is worth, the statisti-
clans of the United States bureau
Of agriculture left the duty Of
prophecy to the weather bureau,
which to date offers no promise of
relief.
Europe Hard Hit
America is not alone in suffering
abnormal weather conditions, &C
cording to information reaching the
weather bureau. In central, south
and western Europe, drought has
threatened the wheat crop, especial
ly hard hit in Italy. The condition
in France is also bad, in Germany it
is not so bad, while in England the
crops have not yet been affected.
Rain has come in England, so that
the conditions there probably will
be relieved.
In Japan and along tbe coast Of
China it has been very wet in re-
cent weeks, with many typhoons. In
South America, where the seasons
are reversed and it Is now the mid
die of winter, the weather has been
unusually cold
Reports from Australia, also now
in winter, indicate that the Aus
tralian wheat crop is unusually
good.