NASHVILLE (AP) - A blistering start to summer coming at the end of a spring that was short on rainfall has imperiled Tennessee crops and made livestock production harder.

This week's report from the U.S. Agriculture Department listed 94 percent of the state's cropland short or very short on topsoil moisture.

Eddie Sanders, who with his son Josh farms about 1,500 acres in southwestern Williamson County, said he won't get any crop out of 800 acres of corn he has in the field.

"The corn, which was silking last week, was in the brunt of the heat and probably won't pollinate," Sanders said.

He holds out hope for 700 acres of soybeans.

"The most critical time for them will be July and August," he said, then added, "They're not growing, of course."

In Rutherford County, Brandon Whitt recalled how tinderbox dry conditions nearly cost his family's Batey Farms a lot of money in a hurry. A spark from a small debris fire landed in a wheat field on June 28 and Whitt said the fire spread like a bomb had exploded.

They lost 20 acres of wheat, a hay barn an equipment barn, a tractor and a rotary mower. Still, Whitt is thankful for what they saved.

"John (his father-in-law) was starting the combine and the hay was burning underneath it," Whitt said. John Batey saved the $250,000 machine and two tractors and a truck were also driven out of the flaming barn.

Batey Farms usually sells dry shell corn at the end of a harvest. There won't be a usual corn harvest this year. Whitt said he and his father-in-law have decided to cut the corn stalks as silage and sell it to neighboring dairy operations.

Whitt, 33, said his young children make the eighth generation to be raised on the family's farm.

The comments county agricultural extension agents sent to the National Agricultural Statistics Service office in Nashville echo the dry refrain.

"Crops have really begun to suffer and g o backwards this week. Rain is needed yesterday," said agency Richard Buntin in Crockett County.

Kim Frady in Bradley County described crops and pastureland as "burnt to a crispy crunch."

Loudon County was no better off.

"Need rain. Saw a farmer digging a waterline about 4-5' deep. Nothing but powder!" wrote agent John Goddard.

The USDA reported on Monday that almost half the corn statewide is rated in very poor or poor condition with two-thirds of the pastures in this same category. Soybean, tobacco, and cotton acreage remained in mostly fair-to-good condition but declined substantially in one week.

Some farmers are hauling water to livestock as springs fail and ponds dry up. They are also having to feed hay early.

The drought is most intense in Tennessee's northwest corner. In Obion County, Kenneth Barnes described his pasture as "brown as a biscuit."

Barnes, 56, and his son Jeremy farm about 4,000 acres, raising corn, beans and bee f cattle.

Barnes said the only recent good news is that grain prices have been at record highs.

"You just hope you've something set back from the good years," Barnes said.

He noted crop insurance on his corn will help this year.

Ideal field conditions allowed for early planting and the first hay cutting was well ahead of schedule. Then, hot and dry conditions intensified.

"Everything's been early," Barnes said. "Summer came early, too. And the rain never came."