AMERICAN FOODSTUFFS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 38, 13 August 1930, Page 11

AMERICAN FOODSTUFFS

SCARCITY REPORTED

DROUGHT STILL PERSISTS

United Press Association—By Electrio Tola--1 graph—Copyright. (Beceived 13th August, 10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, 12th August. Tho announcement by President Hoover that he feared a greater loss of crops than the 7 per cent, predicted by the Agricultural Department, and a three cent increase in tho price of maize on the Chicago market to a dollar a bushel for December deliveries wero the highlights of tho national drought situation.

The President stated that ho was cancelling his holiday plans, and would remain at the centre of relief activities, giving special attention to the problem created by the diminution by 090,000,----000 bushels of the maize crop, which is the staple of stock feeding, and the immediate shortage of food in Kentucky and Sennessee, whero conditions aro believed to be most serious. On Thursday and Friday, President Hoover will confer with the State Governors and farm organisation representatives on theso and kindred problems growing out of tho situation.

Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan to-day were added to the States in which serious forest fires are raging. The Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, also reported fires that were out of control. BUTTER AND MILK DEARER. i Another agricultural product which is seriously affected by drought is but--1 ter, the production of which has been gradually decreasing since Ist Juno, and the price of which has risen five cents 1 since Ist July. Stock feed bran has 1 risen sis dollars a ton. Cleveland reI ported an increase of a cent a quart for milk. Vegetable prices in New York increased 20 per cent, over the week-end, with diminished su2)plies from Eastern sources and the necessity | for Western and Southern importai tions. ' An interesting twist is given to tho drought situation by reports from Utah and Florida indicating considerable damage from floods, particularly in the latter State, where the overflow of Lake Okecehobee destroyed many crops. PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. President Hoover has been advised that unemployment, disease, and, in some cases, actual starvation, are complicating the situation due to the drought, which is becoming progressively worse, despite a few scattered storms.

Yesterday the New York and New Jersey area received a storm, but instead of rain were showered with destructive hail. Other areas havo been badly damaged by unusua' thunderstorms in which thero was no rain, but injurious lightning urwig buildings and killing live stock.

Emergency water restrictions have been ordored in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Weßt Virginia. The live stock in those States aro being fed on winter rations of hay and bran. Ten-dollar spring lambs aro being sacrificed for fifty cents each. Canr.cries have closed owing to corn shortage.

Several towns have asked their citizens to send their laundry elsewhere to conserve the rater.

Herds of cattle congest tho highways in Virginia as farmers move them about in search of water.

The ruin of crops has affected farm families not only from tho standpoint of income, but by cutting down their own food supplies. Many face actual starvation, because even tl. usual table vegetables are burned up and cattle have been lost or are unmarketable. KENTUCKY SUFFERS. In Kentucky corn is a cotal loss and the tobacco crop has been badly damaged. Truck gardening farms have been almost wholly destroyed. The situation in Louisiana is severe. The cotton crop is two-thirds ruined, and hay and corn are completely lost. Sugar cano will be delayed by six weeks. Alabama reports that the cotton crop is damaged. Typhoid is bad and infantile, paralysis is spreading, due to the dry weather. of the suffering areas called on President Hoover, who received their reports and promised all possible aid. One report stated: "Suffering among tenant farmers is beginning, and wi)l increase rapidly." FROST AFTER HEAT. Farmers in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, in addition to being stricken by heat and drought, to-day suffered heavy losses from frost, which struck other sections also. A large part of tho country has been relieved of the suffering from heat with autumn-like weather, but tho Weather Bureau expects no rainfall. Further frosts are feared.