Evening star., 1948-06-26
Serious Losses
In Crops sFaced
ByMaryIand
Wet Weather, Storms
Hit Wheat, BorIey
And Corn Paintings

Unless unreasonable wet weather
lets up, Maryland farmers face one
of the most serious crop losses Of
recent years, a survey by county
agents and University OF Maryland
experts disclosed.
The damage done already is esti-
mated at $5.000,00 by DR.. T. B.
Symons, director Of the agricultural
extension service of the university.
The precarious condition Of the
crops is particularly true OF the
Eastern Shore where heavy rains.
high winds and severe hailstorms
in some areas have inflicted heavy
losses. Most of this damage has
occurred within the last week.
The Eastern Shore situation may
mark the second straight year where
growers in the famous tomato belt"
suffer severe setbacks. Last year
thousands of dollars worth Of to-
matoes rotted on the vines because
of a backlog and inability Of pack
ing houses to process the record
crop.
Queen Annes Hard Hit.
This year, according to r. S.
Brown, Talbot County agricultural
agent, growers went in for much
lighter paintings of tomatoes be-
cause of lower market prices. In
stead, more field corn was planted
Farms around Tilghmans Island
were particularly hard hit by high
winds and rain Thursday night, Mr..
Brown said. Last Saturday hail and
heavy rains and wind buffeted the
Eastern Shore generally with Queen
Annes County being particularly
hard hit by hail.
Hail also cut a swath of dam
age through Anne Arundel and
Prince Georges County on this side
of the Bay, with most severe losses
in the Mitchellville and Mount Oak
areas.
Some Crops Pl0wed Under.
Harry w. Beggs, county agent OF
Dorchester County, said at Cam
bride-another Eastern Shore point
that this years heavier plant
ings of corn could not be worked
over because of the water-satu-
rated earth. There has been 20
much rain that 1t is impossible to
work the grass and weeds out Of
the fields.
Although the hailstorm Of last
week end hit only Spotty areas OF
the State, farmers everywhere re-
ported damage from heavy RAIN
fall.
A. o. Kuhn, agronomist at the
University of Maryland's Extension
Service, said it is too late in the
season to do much good at planting
a new corn crop. Some are going
to try it anyway, however, and Mr..
Brown said he knows of planters
who are piowing under their DAM
aged plants in Talbot County.
Centerville Paintings Destroyed.
John w. Magruder, another ex-
tension service agronomiSt, said he
had toured Queen AnneS County
after last weeks hailStorm and more
than 100 farms had reported early
paintings of corn totally destroyed
in the Centerville area. He said
he was told 5 inches Of hail fell
Saturday afternoon and he found
some traces of the hailstones on
the north side of buildings on his
visit there Monday.
Elsewhere in the State, uncut
barley crops and wheat standing
with a heavy head has suffered
greatly. Thursday nights wind and
rain smashed these crops into the
ground and they cannot be har-
vested In many areas. The Eastern
Shore tomatoes which were damaged
by rain alone may recover II weather
conditions improve, county agents
declared.
The generally wet weather has
made it impossible for many to har-
vest hay and several widespread
areas report the grass flattened to
a level where it cannot be cut. Mr..
Magruder said. 1t probably will rot
on the ground.
Earlier, damage to tobacco plants
from the hailstorm of last week end
had been reported by P. E. Clark.
county agent for Prince Georges.
County agents and university off,
cials could not give a dollars and
cents" estimate of damage thus far.
1t probably will be several weeks
before the full extent Of losses are
reported they said