The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-09
Big INCREASE.
In ACREAGE IS
RECOMMENDED
Will Be Needed to Prevent
Serious Shortage of
Breadstuffs
STATE COUNCILS OF
DEFENSE WILL AID
Large Jump In Rye Acre
age is Also Asked by the
United States

Washington, D. c., Aug. 9. = The
production of over one billion bush
els of wheat and over eighty-three
million bushels of rye, through the
planting of 47,337, 900 acres of winter
wheat and of 5,131, 900 acres of rye
this fall, is the immediate war agri-
cultural program for the nation an
nounced today by David F. Houston,
secretary of agriculture.
This record winter wheat acreage,
an increase of Is per cent over last
year, would yield 672,000000 bushels
If the average yield for the past ten
years is equaled, or under a repett-
ton of favorable conditions of 1914
would give SS0,000,000 bushels. In
either case with a spring wheat crop
next year equal to that of 1915, the
nation will have more than one bill
lion bushels of wheat for domestic
use and export.
This vastly increased production
of wheat, needed in any case, will
be absolutely essential to prevent a
serious shortage of breadstuffs next
summer should the growing corn,
now behind the season, be much
damaged by early frosts.
The program approved by the
secretary of agriculture represents
the best thought Of the United States
department of agriculture and of
state agricultural officials and state
councils of defense.
The study of this question has
involved many factors and the
specialists have been aware from the
first that the demands for wheat
may exceed the supply next year.
Effort therefore has been made to
recommend in each state about as
large an acreage in wheat and rye
as can be sown without upsetting
proper farm practice which must be
maintained in the interest of wheat
and rye crops this and succeeding
years, as well as in the interest of
other necessary spring planted crops
which are not discussed in detail
at this time as they are not food
crops in which a marked shortage
exists.
Winter Wheat.
Following Is a summary of the de-
partment's recommendations regard
ing winter wheat:
The planting of approximately A.
S37, 900 acres to winter wheat, on the
basis of the average yield for the
past ten years indicates q totaI
production OF 672,OO0,000 bushels,
which exceeds all previous winter
wheat crops harvested in the United
States with the exception Of the
crops of 1914 and 1915 when the
acreages harvested and yields per
acre were both above normal. If the
extremely favorable conditions under
which the winter wheat crop of 1914
was grown are again experienced
the yield of winter wheat next year
will be SS0,000,000 bushels or by far
the largest winter wheat crop ever
than the
total Of both winter and spring
wheat crops for all past years except
two.
It il too early to determine the
area, which should be sown to wheat
next spring, but IL this Is equal TO
that sown in the spring of 1917. or
$4,000. 600 acres, and the yield is up
tn the average of the last ten years,
q crop of 251 200, 900 bushels Of spring
wheat will be harvested, and II the
yield per acre should equal that OBJ
tanned in 1915 the crop will be S5O,-
OOO, 900 bushels, the same as the
greatest spring wheat crop ever
produced. Thus, with no increase in
the spring wheat acreage but with
the is per cent increase over the
1916 winter wheat sowtngs planned
for this fall, the total wheat crop
next year will be more than 1,OOO,-
100000 bushels, If the crop meets
with slightly better than 1O-year
average conditions. With extremely
favorable conditions, such as were
experienced by the winter wheat
crop in 1914 and the spring wheat
crop in 1915, the total yield would
amount to one and one quarter mil
lion bushels. A 10 per cent increase
in spring wheat acreage with favor
able growing conditions would add
another 30,000,O00 bushels. The
figures quoted above are based upon
q winter killing of 3 per cent and
Yields per acre OF 1916 bushels for
winter wheat and 1872 bushels for
spring wheat, the averages for the
last ten years, and a yield per acre
in 1914 Of 10 bushels of winter
wheat, and 1874 bushels of spring
wheat in 1915.
Principal Increases.
The principal increases in acreage
of winter wheat are recommended in
the areas where the acreage devoted
to that cereal are already large and
farmers are accustomed to growing
wheat and are equipped with ma
chirery for producing the crop. A
material increase also is recommend
ed in most Of the areas where the