Evening star., 1934-05-06
SPRING DROUTH
DISASTROUS TO
MIDWEST FARMERS
Abandonment of Crop Re-
duction Urged Due to
Critical Situation.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

ST. PAUL, MINI. MAY 5.-The
hottest, driest Spring in modern times,
with dust storms whipping seeds and
rich top soil into bitches and scant
prospect of unmolested seeds germi-
mating, presages agricultural disaster
generally in wide areas in Minnesota,
North Dakota, South Dakota and ad-
joining States.
The situation has become SO critical
that r. A. Trovatten, Minnesota COM
missioner of agriculture, openly Is ad-
vocating disregard to crop reduction
plans under the A. A. A.
Throughout April the northern tier
o. the Central States writhed in
soaring Spring drought that found fire.
ouent and almost constant strong
winds filling the air with thick dirt.
For weeks at a time, the storms ragged,
obscuring the sun and turning day
into night. Some country roads actu-
ally were blocked by the drifting dirt
and at least one train was wrecked
when the locomotive was derailed and
upset. 1t was freight engine and
the crew escaped injury.
Facing the spectre of ruination
through failure of seeds to germinate,
many farmers during the last week
have been menaced by prairie fires
which in the pioneer days ragged un-
obStructed through the fiat, wind
swept areas. Several farms were
wiped out in Minnesota, Western Wis
consin and South Dakota and one
Wisconsin farmer was suffocated while
fighting fire on his land. Another
farmer, trapped while trying to save
live stock from a barn on his Mime
sofa farm, was badly burned.
Thus region that for years had
sustained heavy losses from drought
and such plaques as hordes of grass
hoppers begins the new crop year with
more than a normal amount of han
dicaps, which the State and Nation
have been desperately trying to cir
cumvent through financial aid in
various forms.
Emphasizing the dangerous outlook
in Minnesota, that States agricultural
commissioner urged that a maximum
acreage be planted to supply actual
need for food.
No41OdAo VIC 1ldNC IIldIly
years" said Commissioner Trovatten,
I'VE will be obliged to import food
products from foreign countries that
our people may be fed. The A. A. A.
however, fails to take this into con-
sideration. Their policy is to destroy
in order that surpluses be removed.
BY the looks of things nature will do
her own DESTROYING.
Instead of preaching reduction here
and reduction there, the A. A. A. might
heed the teachings Of Joseph. Biblical
history recalls that Joseph, during
the seven fat years stored up food
stuffs for the seven lean years
Should there be a return of the
seven lean years. the A. A. A. assures
the people Of this country empty bins.
The faxseed crop Is an outstand-
ing example. Last year more than
two and one-half times as much flax
seed was imported by Minnesota than
was produced within the State. The
wheat and corn lands abandoned as
a result of the A. A. A. program should
be used for such crops as daxseed
that have fallen below the demand
within the State.
THE reduction Of non-perishable
commodities threatens to enforce not
a corresponding reduction in the nom
perishable market but a scarcity. The
dairy industry alone is threatened
with a downright shortage rather than
overproduction. The drought Of the
last few weeks has forced dairy prod
ucts up 20 per cent last week.
Although approximately SO per
cent of the wheat seeding has been
completed within the State, prospects
Of further seeding are dull since the
farmers have in the main become
discouraged and disheartened by the
weather. Unless the weather becomes
Immediately favorable, agricultural
production will fall far below the 20
per cent reduction demanded by the
A. A. A. program"
Typical of the reports describing
the distress came from Mrs. Leah Bell,
women's director Of relief in Edmunds
County, South Dakota She wrote:
Monday morning at am, the
wind started to blowing the dust and
it blew terrifically all day. 1t mas
been blowing continuously ever since.
Dirt and gravel sweep along the roads
in waves Just like snow in strong
wind. It is so thick that at times
cannot see my neighbor's house across
the road.
The sun is obscured and the sky
is grey with dust. Motorists crash
into the bitches since they cannot
even see the road before them.
Farmers tell me each day that their
cattle are so poor and thin that the
cows that bear calves are so weak
that they die and so do the new born
calves. Ewes are so thin that they
cannot suckle their lambs and milk
is so scarce that the farmers cannot
raise them by bottle.
TT has been so long since we had
a wetting rain that the dirt has blown
from the roots Of the native prairie
hay and the tops Of the grass are
eaten and trampled of and the roots
are protruding. Many families have
burned cowchips all Winter as they
have no money to buy coal and there
are no trees here to cut and burn.
All the butter. meat and cheese that
the average farmer and worker have
had to eat are from the Government
dispensaries. Mumps and measles are
prevalent and the people are so poor
that they do not call the doctor until
the last minute as they do not want
to become county charges and have
no way of paying the doctor them
selves.
with the pay being cut down so
low on relief work, many families are
existing mainly on bread. Children
are going barefoot and many Of them
have attended school without warm
underclothing Why do we stay
here2 Well because we have no cash
or way to leave. We have families
and once had homes. We have friends
and we have above all q strong de-
termination to stay with the fight un-
til the finish"
nII n~kl1.E IL. Ck.I1 C>~-A