Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-04-18
WORLDS WHEAT CROP
SHOWS BIG DECREASE
Acreage In Pacific Northwest
475,OOO Acres Below
Last Year
By Ryman H. Cohen.
lWritten for the United Press

written for the United Press.)
Portland, Ore, April ls.-All owe,
the world the 1916 wheat crop promises
to show a most serious decrease from
that of 1915.
In most sections Of the world tae de-t
creased production outlook is due to
the falling off in the area planted to
this cereal, but in many instaces the
crop has passed through the winter
with a very liberal amount Of winter
killing of plants and other damage.
4 In the Pacific Northwest the condi-
ton of the crop is most excellent and
better than an average yield per acre
is the present outlook Notwithstand-
ing this, the total production of wheat
in Oregon, Idaho and Washington now
promises to show decrease from 1915.
There is a very material decrease in
the acreage. This is the leading reason
for the expected drop in the total vol
ume expected during the coming har-
vest
While previous to the cold snap it
was believed that the crop would move
above that Of 1916, even though the
acreage of wint1r planting was some
what less than year ago a consider
able amount Of seeded land was winter
killed, and the returns received at this
time indicate that the spring planting
will prove one of the smallest in years
rs far as wheat is concerned. A con
siderable portion of the land usually
sown to wheat will be planted to oats
but accurate reports regarding this are
not yet obtainable.
From over 200 special crop cores
pondents located in practically every
growing district in the orthwest re-
turns indicate that the area of winter
wheat available at this time for the
coming harvest is showing a total Of
but 2,075,000 acres compared with q
showing at this time in 1915 of 2,450,
600 acres.
The spring planting returns of the
three states indicate 4 total area of
,24000 acres compared with l,390000
acres in 1915, Therefore, the total
spring area planted is showing a heavy
decrease from year ago instead of the
increase expected earlier as a result Of
the smaller fan sowing.
Total area planted to wheat in the
three states for tae 1916 crop reaches
33l4,000 acres compared with 3,S40,000
acres in 1915 and 3,62I000 acres in
18Th Therefore the present crop area
is the smallest in three years.
On the face Of these figus of the
wheat acreage, it would look as if the
Pacific Northwest is doomed to pro-
duce one of the smallest wheat crops in
many years. This is rather severe, and
is not exactly fact. The condition
of the planting is somewhat better than
normal in the three states This is espe.
cially true of the light land sections,
which this season have apparently an
overabundance of moisture. This means
that Oregon, with n greater per centage
of light land sowing than either Idaho
or Washington, viii fare somewhat bet
ter and will bring the total crop in this
state to within a fraction of year
ago.
On the basis of normal production ON
the acreage indicated, the wheat crop
In Oregon now looks like 2O000,00O
bushels, Idaho 100000 bushels ad
Washington 35,OO0,000 bushels grand
total Of 66,OO0,O00 bushels The last
returns of the 1915 crop showed a grand
total of 7l,000,000 bushels.
The total acreage planted to wheat
in the Pacific Northwest for the three
years is as follows.
l9I4 3627, 900
1918 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 3slO0OO
1916 .................................... 33l5OO0
Winter and spring wheat acreage for
two years in the tree states of the Pa
cific Northwest show the following:
Winter.
1916 1915