The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-08
WHEAT CROP ID BE 5O,OOO,OOO SHORT
 BUREAU ESTIMATES
Despite Greatly Increased Acreage Production Will Fall Far Under That
 of Last Year

Washington, April 7.-Ef- forts of American farmers to bring this years winter wheat crop to record production for wartime needs apparently have been defe ated by severe weather conditions, and a crop of only 43O,OOO,OOO bushels is expected. In forecasting that total today the department of agriculture announced that the average condition of the crop April 1 was the lowest ever re- corded on that date.
 The production estimate was based on the assumption of average aban- donment of acreage and average in- fluences on the crop between now and harvest time.
 Production of rye this year promises to establish record with 6O0OO,OOO bush els, as forecasted from April conditions Farmers in the rye-growing states in- creased their acreage by 740,000 acres last autumn, foreseeing a demand for that cereal and higher prices because of the war.
 From present indications the combined winter wheat and rye harvest will be 490, 000000 bushels compared with 529, ,127, ,0C0 bushels for those two crops last year.
 Winter wheat was sown last autumn on 100000 acres, which is close to the largest acreage on record. The crop had a bad start in the important growing states and entered winter in poor condi- ton. Insufficient snow covering during the winter and dry and windy weather killed much of the crop.
 WILL PLANT CORN
 Much of the abandoned acreage will be planted to corn in the southern belt and to spring wheat in the northern portion. Prevailing high prices for wheat are ex- pected to spur farmers to place a larger acreage under spring wheat and officials look for record crop of that cereal
 The extent of the winter wheat crop, usually about two-thrds of the entire production of wheat in this country is a vital question, inasmuch as the allies will depend to a large degree upon Amer lean supplies, and Argentina has placed an embargo on wheat and flour exports
 In Kansas and Nebraska, the two lead ing winter wheat growing states the crop suffered enormous damage. Ne braska reported a condition of B per cent of a normal. That was a decline of 50 points from the condition reported De- cemper 1. last. In Kansas the condi- ton April was 45 per cent of a nor nal decline of 36 since December l. Evidently much of the acreage of those states which now must be abandoned will be planted to corn.
 The important winter wheat producing states TOW show heavy declines in condi- ticn because of the severe winter and drouth conditions. In Ohio the decline was points; Indiana, IS points; Illinois, s1 points; Missouri, g points, and Okla homa, 10 points The crop in Tennessee also has suffered to some extent.
 LAST YEARS FIGURES
 Last year 4S1744,OOO bushels were har- vested and 673,947,0O0 bushels were pro- duced in 1915.
 Condition on April was 6S4 per cent of normal, compared with 78.3 last year,
 
 The condition decreased 22.3 points from December 1 to April l, compared with an average decline of points in the past 10 years between those dates.
 Notwithstanding the heavy decrease in the prospective winter wheat crop, the production of rye is forecast by the de- partment of agriculture at 60000,0O0 bush els, the largest output of that crop ever recorded in the United States. Last year the production of rye was 47, ,3S3, GOO bushels; in 1915 it was 54000,000 bushels and the average of the previous five years was S7, GOO bushels.
 Conditions of rye on April 1 wNS S6.0 per cent of a normal, compared with S7.S last year, S9.5 in 1915 and S9.6 the 10-year average.
 Condition of winter wheat in the im- portant growing states on April 1, was: Ohio 80; Indiana, 65; Illinois, So; Mis- souri, @; Nebraska, 35; Kansas, 45; Okla homa, "A.