Show Floods and Drouth Destroyed Crops on Million Acres Last Year Latest reports from the U. U S. S department de- de department of agriculture show that growing con conditions during the Ule past were probably a little better year than average despite floods through through- throughout out the Mississippi basin In May and June and severe drouth in Arkansas and the surrounding states during the summer and in the region ex extending tending from New Jersey into Vir Vir- inia Total crop area lot lost was about no I 1 figures show nearly more acres than were lost in 1942 Pastures and most late crops suf- suf suffered suffered from the hot dry weather during dur- dur during ing July and August although June produced enough dry weather cast of the MissIssippi to permit farmers in most areas to catch up with late planting and haying Showers in the corn com belt and the eastern half of the cotton belt pre pre- prevented prevented vented serious damage from the drouth there and reports show that the warm weather enabled nearly nU all of the threatened corn and soybean acreage to mature before frost The dry summer and fall also helped most farmers to complete their gi- gi gigantic gigantic gantic harvesting job The 1943 harvest totaled about acres exceeding 1942 by nearly 3 per cent or more than acres despite wet weather that prevented planting of some acre acre- acreage age losses from drouth and flooded acreage that could not be replanted |