Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-06-20
Tobacco Given Big Lift
By Rains, But Is Spotted
Crop Here Believed in Posi- ton To Produce Good Yield
if Seasons Are Favorable From Now On; Flue-
Cured as Whole Will Be Materially Reduced

Rains were general throughout the
middle and eastern parts of North
Carolina during the past week, anG.
have saved a large part of the tObac-
co. cotton, corn and other crops that
have been badly damaged by the dry
conditions prevailing since Easter
Sunday, April IL. But the season is SO
late that there is no chance for nor
NAL crops of any of these farm COM
modities, in the opinion of agricul
;uriStS.
Stands of tobacco are uneven, and
in many fields the sizes of the plants
represent five or six paintings, with
as many sizes in evidence. This will
add to the difficulties of curing when
harvest time nears. Many of the
plants set at the outset of the plant
ing season died and had to be replac-
ed The dry weather has stunted the
growth of settings which took root,
and while these ill Low take on new
life and may produce a fair quality
OF TIE leaf, there is no chance for a
normal yield, il is believed.
Estimates of the years production
in the flue-cured belts of the South
run from 60 to rs percent of last
years output, even with favorable
seasons from this time on. The rains
of the week have been about all that
could be asked for and came on top
Of two generous showers last week
which hit many localities but were
nothing like as general as those of
the week now closing.
IN Raleigh today Frank Parker
Fcderal-State crop statistician stated
that the recent rains had caused very
fine recovery of crops, which had suf-
fered seriously from drought" Mr..
Parker has just returned from trip
through the Piedmont area of the
State, and spoke on the fasis of his
own observations there and reports he
has received from the eastern part
of the State, declaring that he thought
the drought had been definitely brOk-
en-, except in scattered areas. Cotton
and tobacco are coming out nicely"
Mr. Parker observed, adding that "e5-
Inmates of a 10000, 900 drought dam
age in the State, in my opinion, are
fading fast"
Lee A. benson, director Of the
Weather Bureau station at Raleigh,
said the rains of the week had re-
lieved dry conditions throughout prac-
tically the entire eastern part of the
State
In Raleigh, e. Y Floyd, extension
tobacco specialist at State College,
expressed the opinion that a good
crop of flue-cured tobacco will be had
in some sections of the State, while
in others the yield will be very low.
Tickle weather and variable growing
conditions are largely responsible for
this situation, Mr.. Floyd said, adding
that they also make it practically i'm
possible to forecast at this time the
size and quality of the crop for the
State as a whole. He cited the ex-
perience of a Johnston county farmer,
who watered part of his crop from a
branch and got a good stand, but
where he got water from we'll the
stand is so poor that only a small
yield is expected.
But some farmers have a better
stand than they realize, Floyd said.
In certain cases the dry weather has
burned off the plant tops, but the bud
is still there, even though hard to de-
tect. He urged tobacco growers to
break the soil thoroughly around the
plants, cultivating it in such a way
as to pull as much soil as possible
around the stalks. He urged farmers
to keep close watch for bud worms
Local tobacco men who have recent
w made trips into the border belt of
South Carolina and also in Eastern
North Carolina report that conditions
there are much the same as in this
section. Here and there are fields with
a good stand, while nearby are other
fields where the plants are stunted
and will not make a normal crop in
quantity or quality. They feel, how
ever, that the result will he less sat
isfactory in the border belt and in