Evening star., 1952-08-05
Light Rains Brighten
Drought Area Hopes;
More Due in Virginia

Light rain today helped ease
the drought in New England, the
Southeast and in Virginia, where
the States crop losses already
total $50 million.
Rains dampened most of Maine,
watering crops and curbing for
est fires. Tennessee and Kentucky
probably the worst-of States
also received light to heavy
showers.
A general rain fell over central
Tennessee, with nearly an inch
recorded in Nashville. Western
Tennessee, howeverA remained
dry, and the weatherman said it
would stay that way until too late
to do the crops much good.
More Rain Due in Virginia.
Spotty rains brought some re-
lief to Virginia yesterday and dur
ing the early morning hours today.
Eastern Virginia was to get scat
tered thunderstorms later today.
The Virginia Department of
Agriculture estimated the States
farmers already have lost $50 mil
lion worth of crops. Virginia S
tobacco and corn crops were esti-
mated at rs per cent of normal,
with the hay crop at 80 per cent
of normal. ...
Recent rains, the State Agricul-
ture Department said, revived
pastures and may discourage farm
ers from rushing cattle to market
Virginia's flue-cured tobacco
may be so damaged that even a
quick rain cannot saYe it. Mois-
ture, however. still can rejuvenate
other tobacco crops that now look
bad.
Maryland Tobacco Damaged.
Although. Maryland is not listed
as a disaster area, the States to-
Ioacco growers may lose several mil
lion pounds, according to Louis
L. Cross, chief salesman of the
Maryland Tobacco Growers Asso-
ciation.
He said the latest Government
estimate was for a crop of "a
million pounds. Farmers, however
tbelieve the output may not reach
80 million pounds, Mr.. Cross said
But higher prices may make ur
the dollar loss. Two weeks ago
Mr.. Cross said, prices averaged
I$42 to $43 per hundred pounds
Now they are $48 to $40.
State and Federal agencies are
making plans to help stricken
farmers. Virginia's Agricultural.
Mobilization Committee arranged
to meet later this week to plan
relief, possibly with the aid oi
Federal funds.
The Agriculture Department In
Washington called 10-State con.
ference in Atlanta for tomorrow
and Thursday to plan disaster
loans to farmers.
The loans would come through
the Agriculture Departments
Farmers Home Administration
It has perhaps $25 million thai
can be lent at 3 per cent interest
mostly for year or so.
The loans can be made only ir
regions the Agriculture Depart.
ment deSignates as disaster areas
and only to farmers who can OBJ.
tain credit from no other source
The loans do not repay farmer.
for crop losses, but supply capita
to keep them in business while
they are short of cash because o1
crop failures.
The Disaster Areas.
Presently designated disaster
areas are Massachusetts,, Maine
Tennessee, Kentucky. Mississippi
Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina
and part Of Missouri and Ar
kansas. Parts of Oklahoma anc
Texas also are listed as disaster
areas because of drought last
year.
To encourage the movement OF
hay from the Great Lakes area
to the Southeast, the Interstate
Commerce Commission yesterday
authorized railways to lower
freight rates on carload lots of hay
shipped to the stricken area. The
railways. however, have not yet
announced what rates they might
offer.