The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-07-06
Midlands Hail Bumper Wheat Crop
Everybody Out To Harvest the Golden Tide
By NEA Service

Kansas City, Mo, July 6 All through the great midwest wheat belt, from Oklahoma to Nebraska, the golden tide of harvest is rolling majestically northward.
 The kind of bountiful wheat har- vest that used to be blessing in- stead of a problem, is in sight. The Kansas wheatf1elds which a year ago were so arid that they were networked with dry streambeds and devastating duststorms, are this year so saturated with water that many farmers are unable to work heavy combines, and are resorting to their fashioned binders. Demand for field workers is so great that Assistant WPA Director John E. Brink of Topeka has re- leased 600 men to work on the har- vest. It is likely that more WPA la Dor throughout Kansas will be tenn porarily released to the wheatf1elds. NEARLY EVERYONE
 WORKS IN FIELDS
 Towns in the winter wheat areas of western Kansas seemed deserted as all available manpower rushed to the fields to handle the best grain crop since 1881. Even Fourth of July celebrations were cancelled in some towns because it became so imperative to get in the wheat be- fore rust and grasshopper damage could spoil it.
 The unusually wet season has brought unusually heavy weed growth and the smut and grass hopper danger has caused farmers throughout the wheat belt to hurry their harvest. Instead of beginning at the Oklahoma border and work ing north, almost all of Kansas is harvesting at the same time, since wet weather made it impossible for heavy machinery to operate in the fields. All held back for the first opportunity, thus creating a simul- taneouS demand for labor in hur- ry.
 The tremendous national winter wheat crop prediction of June l when the government estimated 761 100000 bushels is not expected to materialize, but most private es- inmates of July l were still above FOG, 100000 bushels, leaving no doubt that bumper crop is in process of harvesting. Last years winter wheat crop was 685 100000 bushels.
 MONEY RETURN
 LAGGING
 While the wheat yield everywhere is expected to be high - except in local areas where smut damage is cutting it as low as zero-the returns to the farmers may not be much above those of last year. For the smaller yield, the farmers got an average for around $1 a bushel. This year the price is considerably low CT, but the larger crop will compen- sate for 1t. Chicago price for July delivery have been between 70 and 75 cents, as compared with prices as high as $1.26 year ago.
 In addition, supplementary crops such as corn, oats, and stock pas turage are much better than aver age, so most farmers should be even ! 0SbSSA OAA OAi tAAC WIlOlC UAAdll bltCy
 were last year. Much of the oat
 crop is down because of the recent
 heavy rains, and is being cut for hay.
 Exports prospects appear to be
 looking up again. Most of the European wheat crop has been ruined by drouth and plans in Britain and the Netherlands for keeping on hand huge stocks may well mean that those countries will be in the market. Plans are being made to ship large quantities of wheat to China, whose normal crop has been decimated by the Japanese war. But the Argentine, too, has large crop this year, and the world price is still a matter of question. Any such increase in ex- port would be useful to reduce the carry-over from last years crop, estimated at 200,0O0,000 bushels.