The Mena weekly star., 1917-07-12
GREATEST CORN
 CROP EVER GROWN
This Is America's Reply to the Worlds Cry of Hunger-Said to Aqqregate Three Billion Bush
 els in the Prospective.

Washington, July 9-A three bil- lion bushel prospective corn crop this year is the answer returned by farmers of the United States to Pres ident Wilson's call TOT food for Americas allies in the war. Never before has such a crop been grown. This result of the campaign to stim- ulate agricultural production in the United States was disclosed today in the department of agrieulture's July crop report. Forecasts of the ulti- mate production of the various inn portant food crops, based on the condition of the growing crops on July 1, were issued and the first an- n0uneement of the areas planted to corn, the greatest of all American agricultural crops, and potatoes was made. More definite idea Of the fin- al production of the winter and spring wheat crops was given and improvement was shown over the forecasts made a month ago.
 In it's first forecast of corn pro- duction this year the department of agriculture announced that July conditions forecast a crop of 3,124,- 000,000 bushels. Sixteen million more this year were planted to corn than last year and the acreage ex- ceeds the former record area plant cd in 1909 by thirteen million acres,
 Record on Potatoes, Too.
 4 record crop of white potatoes also is forecast with a production of 452,000,000 bushels. That would ex- ceed the previous largest crop grown in 1912 by 32.000.000 busheis.
 Prospects of he rye crop shows a slight decrease from the June fore cast but the production will be a record with a total of 56,i00,000 bushels.
 Good Increase ill Wheat.
 The wheat crop, responding to better weather conditions during June shows an increase of about 22,- 100000 bushels ill prospect, with a total of 678,000,000 bushels or 3S,000,- 000 larger than last years crop.
 h statement explaining crop conditions the department of agri- culture said:
 A heavy increase in acreage of corn is noted, amounting to over i4 per cent of last years area, much of the increase being on land not formerly cultivated and the bulk of the remainder on abandoned wheat lands and acreage formerly devoted to hay
 The growth is several weeks late but as the seed was generally of su- peri0r quality, stands, color and viz or are generally above the average. There has been some losses on food ed bottom lands and a moderate amount of replanting has been nec- essary.
 The corn crop suffered from dr0uth in the gulf central states but elsewhere moisture is sufficient or in excess. Cultivation is fair to good in most states, though in some sections less moisture has interfered
 The corn crop now promising B. t2i,000000 bushels is greater by a slight margin than the largest pre- yious crop. The crop is slightly be- low the ten year average condition, due to it's lateness.
 The stand of winter wheat, es- pecially where thinned by winter killing, have thickened up surpris- ingly and the heads are in almost all sections heavy. The growth during the month has made an improve ment representing gain of 29,OOO,- 900 bushels, this being far in excess of what was expected.
 Early harvest grain in the south west has turned out much better than anticipated.
 Spring wheat has declined in c0ii- dition materially, owing to the frost and dryness in North Dakota and unfavorable conditions in some of the western states. The condition of the winter and spring wheat crops combined gives promise of yield greater by 22,000.000 bushels than was antieinatad laet naanth"