It appears that, even with rains from now on, a considerable number of cattle will have to be moved unless hay can be shipped in. There are probably at least 90,000,000 bushels of old corn in the State. There will be some wheat straw in the eastern counties and considerable in the Panhandle counties. Kansas. Spring small-grain crops in the Western two-fifths of Kansas and in the north-central counties are near failure. Yields will average 5 to 7 bushels per acre. Pastures are furnishing practically no feed. The tame-hay crop in the area ranges from failure to very light yields. In the western third of the State and toward the south-central portion feed supplies were scanty all winter and the carry-over was extremely small. No feed is now available in this area and farmers are pasturing their wheat, which gives little promise of making a crop. Abandonment of wheat is extensive, and yields on the balance of the acreage in the western area range from 4 to 5 bushels.

Water is short in the north-central counties. In this section and toward the northeast crop production will be extremely short. Oats yields will be very short. Alfalfa is doing very poorly. Many wells have gone dry, and substantial quantities of water are being hauled. Substantial marketing of distress cattle is certain, unless rains are received soon. Some cattle have already moved because of feed shortage, and a run of distress cattle on the Kansas City and Wichita markets is expected today (June 4). The entire feed situation in this area will be acute unless the drought is broken very shortly. Irrigated alfalfa is doing well in Finney County. Surface and subsoil is dry in the entire northern and western area. The acreage of corn and spring small grains has been reduced because of adverse planting conditions. Virtually no spring plantings of corn have been made in some areas of western Kansas. Without immediate rain, some planted fields will be a total loss.

Conditions are still fair in most central and south-central counties, but declining. Wheat in these central counties will make a fair yield but will be below the average yield, and other small-grain yields will be light. Pastures are still furnishing feed and the situation is not critical as yet in this area. Yields of alfalfa will below. In the eastern third of the State, except the northeast, oats and other small grains will yield a fair, but below-average, crop. Wheat is filling well, but yields will be below average. The first cutting of alfalfa and other tame hay is light. Potatoes in the Kaw Valley are uninjured thus far. Blue-stem pastures are furnishing good feed, but water is short. Some cattle are being forced to market and more are to go unless rains replenish ponds and start springs. Corn was planted about the usual date. It is rooting and holding up well.

Wheat harvest will begin along the southern border about June 8. Harvesting oats will begin a day or so later.

SOUTH CENTRAL STATES

Kentucky. The State as a whole is verging on a critical situation but rains within a week or 10 days could make the whole outlook reasonably favorable. Drought conditions are becoming serious chiefly in that they are parching pastures and reducing hay yields. Stock water is becoming scarce in some areas but is not yet critical nor causing emergency marketing of livestock. Short pastures and heat are depreciating the quality of the spring lamb crop and are forcing rapid marketing, but lamb prices are fairly good. The most serious threat is the accumulated moisture deficiency. A serious condition is likely to result if the present drought continues much longer. Should rain come within the next few days, the general situation would be greatly alleviated because both corn and tobacco can yet be planted and mature full crops, if there is nearly normal rainfall the remainder of the season. Should anything approximately normal rainfall occur and continue, hay shortage can be partially remedied by supplemental acreage of annual legumes and especially by largely increased lespedeza acreage. The oats crop in some areas in almost a failure but it is not a generally important crop. Corn looks fair but is badly in need of rain. Tobacco transplanting has been greatly delayed by dry soil, extreme heat, and low humidity. However, June rains could quickly remedy this. All truck, garden and fruit crops are in very poor condition.

Tennessee. Deficient rainfall during April and May and periods of unseasonably cool weather have injured pastures, hay crops, and all small grains. However, wheat is yielding only slightly below average. Drought has not yet seriously affected the corn crop which is about up to average and in good state of cultivation. Cotton was generally planted before the normal date and good stands have been secured but cool weather during May stopped growth and reduced stands to

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about average. Pastures and hay crops in the middle and western portions of past the States are in urgent need of rain. The eastern portions show better condi- refor tions. Early hay crops are producing fair yields and carry-over of hay from theck is 1933 crop was about up to average. Drought has seriously affected germination ought and reduced stands of mid-season and late hay but with normal rainfall to the end Count of the season Tennessee should produce adequate feed supplies. Livestock have pts. not yet been seriously affected by drought.

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Alabama. Rainfall during May was nearly normal with no lengthy drought pplies periods. Livestock is in good condition. Water supply is ample. The prospect ought for feed crops is just about average. Mississippi. Crop_conditions, generally, are about average for the first of June. Dry weather has affected local areas, particularly in north central and northeastern counties, but this is not unusual for this season of the year. No Mon extraordinary conditions have been reported as affecting any wide areas. There are no reports so far of inadequate water supplies or unusual distress. Plantings of food and feed crops have been increased over last year.

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Arkansas. Conditions generally are fairly satisfactory, but the moisture re serve cannot long withstand drought. Progress of cultivation and plowing is about normal, and planting of cotton and corn is ahead of usual. Fruit crops all look promising. The rainfall deficiency for the season to date is between 3 and 4 inches, the May deficiency being 11⁄2 inches. The northeastern counties and the outer rim of counties on the west and the southwest are in need of rain. In the central and southern districts there is no immediate need of moisture. The condition of small grains, except rice, is about average, while hay and pas tures are somewhat below average. Cattle and livestock are quite generally in good condition. The water supply has been sufficient up to the present time. Nights were cool throughout May, retarding growth of the two principal crops. Louisiana. The season is somewhat late and many field are grassy. Farmers are busy cultivating crops and the labor supply is ample. Pastures are in fairly good shape in most localities. Prospective green feed and forage supplies are apparently sufficient for local needs unless drought sets in. Livestock feed supplies other than above will be somewhat short of local needs until new crops mature. Oats harvest is about completed. The early commercial potato crop is being harvested with a satisfactory yield. Truck crops are mostly doing well. Cotton is practically all planted. Corn is growing and looks good except locally where grassy. Sugarcane is growing well. The rice crop is also looking good with a prospect of plenty of fresh water for irrigation. The orange crop in Pla-e quemines Parish is promising. Livestock is in fair to good condition.

Oklahoma. The main drought area in Oklahoma is in the northwestern or panhandle counties. While condition figures are very low in parts of the northern and practically all of the west central district, the drought is not so severe in those areas as in the panhandle and adjoining counties. There are practically no crops growing in some areas of the panhandle, due to drought, hot winds and dust storms. A considerable proportion of the wheat, oats, rye and barley acreage will be abandoned and it has become too dry to plant other crops on abandoned grain land.

In the panhandle counties feed is very short. Pastures have dried up and are affording very little feed except in parts of Texas County, where timely rains were received early in May. However, during the last few days the benefits of these rains have been overcome by drought and hot weather. The drought is gradually extending eastward from the panhandle counties with increasing abandonment of acreage of wheat and other grains. The past few days have been extremely hot, and hot winds have dried out what little moisture there was in the soil. However, except in the western third of the State there is ample feed at the present time. In the western third of the State the terriffic heat is burning grains, pastures, tame hays, and other crops, and unless soon relieved by rain, feed will be extremely short in that area.

Texas. With the exception of the northwest and portions of west Texas, drought conditions in this State are not as yet unusually serious, and prospects are fair to good. In an area comprising seven counties in the extreme northwest where there is no feed, no wheat, little stock water and poor prospects for any crops, the pastures are brown and livestock emaciated. In the eastern and southern edges of this area there are fair planting prospects and pastures are starting to green up as a result of recent rains but there must be more rain soon for planting and germination and for carrying pastures along.

Over the greater part of this seven-county area, conditions are very bad. The prospects are extremely poor here unless there is heavy rainfall during the

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next few weeks, since there is no subsoil moisture owing to shortage of rainfall the past 18 months. The northwestern area raises very little hay or oats and therefore will be dependent upon rain for sorghums and sudan for feed. Livestock is scarce in this area, having been largely shipped out during last year's drought. Work stock is scarce because tractors are extensively used.

Feed

Counties bordering on the foregoing drought area are in bad condition in spots. The south plains area is getting dry. Edwards Plateau and the Trans Pecos areas have been dry since last fall and ranges are generally poor. supplies are short in all sections of the State and there is no feed in the severe drought area except for a few individual holdings of sorghum roughage.

WESTERN STATES

Montana.-Dry weather in May has not only caused serious deterioration of crop prospects all over the State and is threatening extensive crop failure in the eastern third of the State, but has also halted to a large extent the completion of spring planting and seeding operations over a wide area east of the Continental Divide. Here the soils have been too dry to germinate early May plantings and, in some cases, to permit plowing for later seedings or summer fallow. Farmers have not completed the seedings that were intended in March especially in the case of spring wheat. Late crops, such as corn, potatoes and flax, together with the usual late seedings of barley and oats, have been seriously handicapped by the drought, especially in the eastern half of the State.

The condition of pastures and range feed has deteriorated considerably during the month from a generally good prospect on May 1. In the western half of the State, rains on June 1 and 2 have been of great benefit but the deterioration is still in progress in the eastern third of the State. In the latter area the prospect at present for nonirrigated hay crops, both tame and wild hays, is probably the poorest on record for this date.

Tame

Even in the irrigated areas of eastern Montana the threatened shortage of irrigation water is causing considerable concern. Similar shortages of irrigation water supplies are noted throughout the southern portions of the State and in the southwestern portion. The condition of winter wheat has dropped very markedly since May 1, with a similar deterioration indicated in case of winter rye. hay and pasture conditions show material decline compared with a month ago In the eastern third of the State, wells and springs not known to dry up in any preceding year ran out of water; supplies of stock water and water for irrigation have run so low as to threaten serious consequences unless good June rains occur. Bordering these counties on the west is an area of about two tiers of counties where continued dry weather will soon prove disastrous. The western half of the State, however, had enough May rainfall to avert much permanent damage and the rains of the past two days will carry the situation here until the June rainfall question is settled. A normal June rainfall in this area could still produce fair to good crops on dry lands and insure adequate supplies of irrigation water in In eastern Montana, however, a calamity threatens in the scarcity of water and low condition of all crops and pastures resulting from the May drought, which even good June rains cannot now fully avert. Grasshoppers are very plentiful throughout this area.

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Idaho. All dry land crops are badly damaged and complete failure is threatened unless there are rains in the near future. Eighty percent of the State's total irrigated area is averaging only a little better than half its normal water supply. In Butte County and on the Salmon irrigation project in Twin Falls County the water is exhausted now, and 16 small canals in the southeast are practically dry. In these latter local areas the present and prospective feed and pasture situation

is serious.

In the entire eastern two-thirds of the State, the second and third crops of alfalfa will be materially reduced and pastures will be sacrificed because of water shortage, thus jeopardizing feed supplies for next fall and winter. Where water

lasts until the first of July, small grains will be fair but potatoes, beans, corn and beets will suffer. Except in higher elevations, ranges are very dry and stock water is scarce on account of the failure of many small streams and springs. There has been extensive hauling of hay and water to sheep on ranges this spring. Wyoming. Because of an acute drought situation and rapidly increasing grasshopper infestation, Wyoming is faced with a condition unparalleled in its history. Following 4 years of drought, conditions have become acute, because of 7 consecutive months of far below-normal rainfall and abnormally high temperatures. Dry conditions were continued with the month of May which

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was the driest on record, with temperatures averaging 8 degrees above normals Rang Reserve water supply represented in snow on the watersheds and mountains below 50 percent of normal in every instance and drops to as low as 20 percent of normal on some of the major projects. Most of the small streams are already drying up and all are far below normal. On unirrigated farms conditions have been so dry that seed has not even germinated. Ranges got an early start on Thiess account of the exceptionally warm weather but the lack of subsoil moisture and the lack of any precipitation resulted in rapid deterioration during May and on areas, & June 1 range conditions were the worst on record. Some of the drier sections will be are completely burned out.

The drought is most severe in the three northeastern counties. In this area precipitation has been subnormal since July 1933, and the rainfall in 1934 has been negligible. In Crook County, ranges failed to turn green this spring. Even water supplies for human consumption are beginning to fail. Hay supplies are less than one-third of normal. Cattle in this section of the State are losing weight rapidly and in many places are already in too poor condition to be driven over the trail to shipping points. No favorable ranges are nearby to absorb the cattle and the alternative is either to ship them or to let them die. Conditions in the northeastern and eastern quarters of the State and in one southwestern county are extremely distressing.

In these areas there will be no stock water available if the drought continues another 30 days. The small irrigated sections will not be able to support the large numbers of livestock. The supply of water for irrigated crops will be sufficient, or a curtailed basis, for about 30 days. Abnormal rains during June might possibly bring about a partial crop and range recovery.

Elsewhere in the State the conditions are becoming critical. There is little grass available. The ranges are in poor condition and stock water is becoming short. Unless rains are received within the next 60 days, there will be a heavy abandonment in the irrigated sections because of water shortage.

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Colorado. The drought situation in eastern Colorado is critical. Subsoil moisture is practically exhausted as a result of 3 years' drought. May rainfall was only 45 percent of normal in eastern Colorado, with temperatures ranging from 8° to 10° above normal. Eastern ranges are drying up, and supplementary feeding is being resorted to over a wide area. Stock water is short in the southeastern and east central counties. There was a good carry-over of corn and barley from last year in all except the southeastern counties. There are ample hay reserves in the irrigated sections of the western and southern parts of the State, with the exception of Prowers and Bent Counties, which moved large quantities of hay into Oklahoma and Texas last year. The carry-over of hay and forage feeds in the dry-land areas was comparatively light.

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The condition of winter wheat declined about one-third during May. Pasture and tame-hay conditions also declined rather heavily. Spring grains are withering from hot winds. Corn planting has been suspended because of drought. Planted corn is either not germinating or is making little growth. The condition of crops in the southwest quarter of the State holds up well, but with a shortage of irrigation water there will be rapid deterioration unless future rainfall is above normal. In the extreme northwest conditions are serious. Stock water is being hauled, and feed is being trucked into dry-land areas. Drought is severe in the extreme southwestern part of the State.

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The irrigation water supply is the shortest in the history of the State, and crops in areas usually irrigated are burning badly. Grasshoppers are infesting the crops in 34 counties with most severe damage occurring in Lincoln and northern Crowley Counties.

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New Mexico.--The State is experiencing the worst drought in 20 years. has been little precipitation during the past 9 months. This condition applies to all altitudes.

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Irrigated lands along the lower valley of the Rio Grande and the Pecos River in New Mexico have sufficient water for this season, but it will be necessary to use the reserve water supply. Alfalfa hay in Chaves, Dona Ana, and Eddy Counties will be at least normal, and there will be the usual amount for shipment. Hay and other crops in all other irrigated sections will have insufficient water supply because they depend directly on stream flow.

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In the dry-land sections, which have about three-fourths of the State's total acres of all crops except cotton, there has been practically no planting because the soil is too dry for soil preparation, and there has been little carry-over of stock feed. Unless rain comes soon, feed crops that are planted may not mature sufficiently to harvest for grain. The wheat crop is approaching total abandonnt.

Ranges and pastures are affording only a very limited amount of green feed. All dry feed was grazed very close during the past winter. Stock water is getting short. The greatest losses of cows and lambs in the 6-month period just closed have occurred during the past few weeks. Cattlemen are still feeding concentrates. The shifting of livestock to the better ranges has been in operation for some time. Unless relief comes soon livestock-death losses will be appalling.

Arizona. Hay, oats, and wheat are in extremely poor condition in all dry farm areas, and water is very short in all irrigation projects except Yuma. Hay crops will be very light. Local rail rates have been reduced, but there is very little feed available. Range cattle and sheep are in very good condition in Coconino, Apache, and Navajo Counties, but in other counties are very poor. Feed is short; there is no new grass available, and old grass is in very poor condition; even browse is drying. Water is short, and heavy livestock losses are expected, even if summer rains come as usual. Many range cattle are too weak to move. There are about 25,000 head of distress cattle, with 75,000 additional head in very pɔ ɔr condition. 1 Good rains in June and July would raise range-pasture condition 20 points in 30 days' time, but situation now is serious.

Utah. The first cutting of alfalfa this season, plus the carry-over of old hay, is generally taking care of present feed needs, but the unusual demand because of poor farm pastures will soon exhaust the hay supply. Pasture conditions reported on June 1 was by far the lowest on record. The shortage of irrigation water threatens the later cuttings of alfalfa. The hay crop may not equal half that of last year, so that serious shortages are likely for next winter's feeding. Range animals have fair feed in the high ranges, but the water supply there is becoming low. The drought is worst in the extreme northeast and in the western half of the State. Some help was had from local rains in late May.

Nevada. The drought was relieved slightly by rains in late May. The supply of irrigation water is scarcely one-third of normal, threatening the second and third cuttings of alfalfa. The fairly good first cutting of alfalfa this season, plus the carry-over of old hay, affords present feed for farm animals, but the supply is small compared to the probable need. Range feed is fair. Water holes on the range are becoming low with threatened exhaustion in some localities. The conditions are the least serious in the western and southern portions of the State.

Washington. There appears to be nothing alarming about the situation in this State at present. The decline in general crop conditions during May was a little more than seasonal in some sections, but crop prospects generally are fair to good. The season is much advanced, and therein lies the danger, particularly in the central Washington stock country. There is no shortage in stock water or range feed now, but present water supplies are disappearing, and pastures in the lower hill country are drying out rapidly. With the season at least a month ahead of usual, weather conditions from now on will be of more than usual importance. The present feed, pasture, and water situation is fair to good.

Oregon.-Field crop prospects dropped sharply during May. The season in all sections is fully a month early. The western Oregon situation is fair, although summer range will be short. East of the Cascades, the wheat crop in Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, and Umatilla Counties has shrunk rapidly from heat and dry east wind. Conditions are now fair to poor, and rain is needed badly. The extreme northeast counties (Baker, Union, and Wallowa) are beginning to suffer. The wheat crop in Union County is burning badly. All irrigation projects in the State are short of the usual supply of water. The condition of the eastern Oregon range area is becoming critical. The Jefferson County situation is most critical, with Wheeler, Malheur, Harney, and Grant Counties following in order. ditions in the bordering territory, comprising the southern portions of the wheat counties, are similar.

Con

The mild winter left considerable hay stocks. Scarcity of winter snow and an almost total absence of spring rains have caused a low water supply and a low soil-moisture reserve which the recent how weather has depleted at dangerous rate. The season is a month ahead of usual. Stock water is short and is already being hauled into the drier sections. Ranges are drying up generally and burning up in worst sections. The usual sources of hay are drying up before they have chance to yield anywhere near minimum needs.

California. The drought situation is serious but not alarming at present. Shortage of water for irrigation will produce short hay and forage crops, but no great shortage of feed grains is indicated except for grain sorghums, The probable shortage of water for stock in foothill and mountain ranges is the most serious situation at the present time. With advancing hay prices, the livestock industry