Evening star., 1932-06-17
TALL CORN BELTS
FARMERS HAPPY
Bounteous Crops Devoid of
Plaques Hold Bright Out
look This Year.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
OMAHA, Nebr., June 17-In the tall
com bel, the planting is Done. rarln-
ers are watching their wheat fields head
cut into golden grain In general the
spirit is one OF Supdued hope that prizes
Will be high enough this year to pay the
taxes, carry the interest on the mort
gage and in the case of the tenant
farmers, pay the TENT,
The two g.eat Calamities Of last year
tne drCU9l.C and 6IasshOppsrs-do not
threaten u large area. For the most
part the two D2k0laS. Nebraska, Iowa.
Colorado and KanSaS nave had geneT-
oIs Spring rains. and there is stored up
IsserIt Ct SllbSOl moisture th&t
should insure the growing crops against
all but the most extreme and lengthy
Midsummer months.
The grasShopper is a lively threat,
but in a restricted area. Throughout
most of the regions that. were stripped
bare last Summer preventive measures
have been under way to kill the young
grasSh0pper While Congress has so far
turned a deaf ear to pleas for Federal
aid in the fight, State treasures have
been opened wherever possible. and
county funds are being used to help the
farmer buy poison bait to battle the
pest.
Nebraska Puts Up S1S,Oo0.
Nebraska supplied $4,000 to be
matched by the counties fOr the hopper
fight. Iowa is spreading poison along
the Missouri River Valley, where state
entomologists found grasshoppers flour
ishing at the rate Of 100 to the square
yard. Dakota has no State funds Tor
hopper warfare, but the counties are
doinG what they can.
A Nveliar menace in few Nebraska
areas is the HcSsian fly, which has peen
working havoc II wheat neloS III 'ite
South Platte country. ,
Wheat acreage has been draSucally
reduced throughout the whole region
No. only was original planting less thaI
in former years. because of wheat price
losses, but large areas have reported
Winter killing. Field after ned mas
been plowed up and soWCd to corn.
This dr9stic reduction in acreage, to-.
pether with destruction by the HeSs1an
fy would mcen a steadily higher p:lce
Tor wheat il ordinary years. Farmers
bI9nr the large surplus still held by
the Federal Grain Stabilizing Corpo-
ration for the depressed price. II only
a vav could be found to get rid OF the
surplus, they say, prices would get PACK
10 fine levels Of FIVE or six years sgo.
IN all the SIX States there are PROB
abv more than a million engaged IN
farm work. while the population de-
pendent upon them numbers more than
three ana 0ne-third rll'liOnS. There Is
no evidence CT a "O2cE-to-the-ia iaTn
movement IS tor"r-r CCnd-tiCnS nave
not been encouraging to the city man.
even though he IS looIeS5; ana the
farmers are keeping hired labor at
minimum. Farm hands today receive
little more than board and room, and
in most farms tao whole farli!y-tather,
mother. sons and daughters-oo their
share of the labor and chores. At
tendance at AGRICULTURAL colleges has
slumped SHARPLY.
Own Tables Supplied.
The hopeful view Of the situation Is
the fact that most Of the farm families
grow enough OF gram, garden proouce
and live STOCK to supply their own
tables. The average farm family re-
CARDS its situation. even in this d2pres-
sion time, as superior to that OF the
family of the industrial worker without |
a lob and dependent upon relatives,
friends or public charity.
The hard times are bringing ABOUT |
more intelligent farming. There IS a I
wider diverSincation Of crops: marked J
increase in growing of garden truck |
for the farmers table, on nearly every
farm a few ewes are tO be seen grazing, i
ana more attention is being paid 10
chickens. fruit. honey and similar caSn
revenue producers. Chickens, of course,
are a major crop" in this region. where
the poultry total Averages around l0O,-
COO coo with value not much less than
that in dollars.
Sugar bcct acreage in Nebraska and
Colorado and South Dakota IS some
what reduced from last year, cue to the
uncertainty over contract price, but a
reasonably large tonnage is expected
First alfalfa cutting was only fair, but
that crop. with wild hay and clover,
bulkS large in farm assets.
The Spring calf and pig crop is not as
large as in former years, because OF the
disposal last Fall and Winter OF the
breeders. Apples have been slightly MP
ped by frost Grapes. Strawberries and
cantaloupes are expected to yield heaV-
iy.
The rolling prairie fields were never
greener nor more beautiful than now:
There is hope in the magnificence OF
the landscapes that buoyS up farmer
and city man alike 1t is never the Gus
tom of the Middle West to be very
deeply pessimistic when the corn IS N |
and the grain is growing.
(Copyr!ght, 1892