The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-01-11
Mississippi Crops
Second Largest
In State History

The total value of all crops
grown in Mississippi in l945 is
the second-highest in history, ac-
cording to D. A. McCandliss, Ag-
ricultural Statistician in this
state, FOR the United States De-
partment of Agriculture. This
wears crops are estimated to be
worth S376,256, 900. This is %
million dollars, or 6 percent less
than last years peak of 1895, sos :
900, but with that exception it
exceeds the value of any other
years crops in this state. The
total acreage Of all crops harvest
ed this season was only 6.524, 900
acres, which is quarter-million
acres less than were harvested
last year, and a half-million less
than the l0-year average from
1884 to l943.
Frequent rains during Febru-
ary and March delayed land prep
arations, and most Mississippi
crops got off to a late start in
l945. Paintings averaged later
than usual, and cold weather dur
ing the first week of May neces-
STATED considerable replanting,
particularly OF cotton. The grow
ing season was generally favor
able and yields per acre Of most
crops were above average. Yields
of corn were very good in most
areas of the stae. Cotton yields
were generally poor over south
Mississippi, but were above aver
age in most other areas, The
lateness of the cotton crop made
it very susceptible to weevil dam
age, which was the heaviest since
194l.
Crop production in the United
States in l945 turned out to be
the third largest on record. Ag-
gregate production of crops was
81 percent above the 1923-32 or
re-drought average, but fell
short of the record output in
1912 by two percent and was
under the 1914 total by about
1Ia percent. The combined to-
tai, however, was four percent
larger than the large l943 produc-
tion, and exceeded production in
any season prior to 1912 by nine
percent. For the United States
as a whole, good grain produc-
tion in l945 was the largest on
record and feed grain production.
nearly equal to the new high
record produced last year,
amounted to 154 million tons.
Wheat production reached 1,123
million bushels. The 20 million
bushel rice crop was harvested
from a record large acreage. Oat
production, totalled over i.5 bill
lion bushels. Corn production,
estimated at -3,0f8 nff1ffUff BUSH
els was 1885 million bushels less
than the record 1914 crop. Sor-
ghum grain production fell far
short Of the unprecedented 1914
crop and was smaller than any
crop produced since 1910. The
large production of feed grains
assures generally adequate sup
plies, as production per grain con-
suming animal unit was well
above average and only about two
percent less than last year. Hay
supplies are unusually large, but
sorphum silage and forage crops
were smaller than average. I'm
favorable planting, growing and
harvesting seasons affected the
cotton crop, which amounted to
only 9,195,000 bales. Sugar pro-
duction, raw value, from cane and
beets grown on farms should APP
proximate about 1.8 million tons,
about % percent more than last
year. Production of oilseed crops
as a whole was large, although
the tonnage was below that in
each of the last three years. The
cottonseed crop, of course, was
exceptionally small but produc-
ton OF soybeans, peanuts and
flaxseed has seldom been ex-
ceeded.