.V ^ -3-- • ■ ■ 



Apples* pears and pecang In IlllnolB . The commercial apple crop In Illinois 

 ^P In 19^5 was 2,68U,000 bushels con^ared to 2,in8,000 hushels In 19^ and a ten-year av- 

 erage of 3,162,000 bushels. The reduction In yield compared to the average was caused 

 by late spring frosts, poor pollinating weather and unusually severe scab damage. The 

 nation's commercial apple crop was the smallest on record- -only slightly more than 

 half of the 19^U total or the ten-year average. 



There was a large crop of good-quality pears In the northern half of Illi- 

 nois, but fungus diseases In the main southern areas held production to 35^,000 bush- 

 els compared with 535,000 last year and a ten-year average of 517 > 000. The U. S. 

 19^5 pear crop Is at record high levels, 3 percent higher than last year and 15 per- 

 cent above the avereige . 



Pecans are an Importeuit crop In southern Illinois. This yecu-'s crop Is 

 estimated at more than one million pounds In contrast with 1^90, ooi pounds In 19^ and 

 a ten-year average of 5^9,000 pounds. The high water table along! the lower Illinois 

 River Is causing some trouble, but the best prospects are In the Wabash and Ohio 

 River areas. The United States crop Is 3 percent less than tlie 19^^ record production, 

 but kO percent larger than the recent ten-yeeur average. 



The vegetable outlook . The United States Department of Agriculture sug- 

 gested that granted normal weather, production of vegetables In 19^ is expected to 

 be In reasonable balance with anticipated demand for most comnerclal truck crops, in- 

 termediate and late potatoes, sweet potatoes and dry edible beans. It is entirely 

 possible that 19k6 production will be in excess of demand at support prices in the 

 case of early potatoes and dry field peas. The season average price to be received 

 by growers for 19^6 vegetable crops are expected to be moderately lower than in 19^5 

 for commercial truck crops and sweet potatoes and at or near support levels for 

 potatoes, dry edible beans and dry field peas. 



More workers on farms; combining costs rise . As a result of good weather 

 which permitted farmers to speed up fall hcurvest operations, about 60,000 more persons 

 were working on farms on November 1 than a year earlier. This is the first month 

 since September 19^5 that a significeuat increase over a year eeurlier has occurred in 

 farm employment. It is probably a good Indication of the easing of the farm labor situ- 

 ation associated with the return of the boys from the armed services. 



The U. S. I>epartment of Agriculture reports that rates paid by farmers for 

 combining and harvesting of wheat, oats and soybeans have shown a sharp increase in 

 recent years. Combining rates for the 19^5 crop averaged $3.65 per acre for wheat and 

 $3.60 per acre for oats compeured with $1.90 for wheat and $2.30 for oats for the 1938 

 crop, the last year for which data are available. Rates for combining the 19^5 crop 

 of soybeans have averaged $3.80 per acre so far this season, with considerable varia- 

 tion between states. 



Cold storage holdings of meats. On November 1, 19^5* cold storage holdings 

 of poultry were slightly less than in 19hh but almost 50 percent higher than the 

 November 1 five-year average, 19i|-0-W+. Holdings of beef were about 50 percent higher 

 than November 1 a year ago and 75 percent higher than the five-year average. Pork 

 holdings are still extremely I0W--I65 million pounds November 1, 19^5 1 compared to 

 297 million pounds a year ago and the five-year average of 303 million pounds. Lard 

 holdings are only one-third as large as the five-year average and about ^4^0 percent a^ 

 large as a year ago. 



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