Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-01

VT TASHINGTON, D. c., April 16.-On several mill
wv ion acres of rich land the winter wheat crop
has been winter-kied This land must be
quickly turned other At time like this all Of
it must be used to best Advantage. On of these
acres the best plan will the surviving wheat
come to harvest On Others spring wheat should be
planted or corn oats. By prompt and intelligent
action much of the wheat shortage unfavorabe
winter weather can be made
The department of agriculture has an answer ready
FOR the problem presented by every acre. tell
the farmer whether let the surviving wheat
struggle through or whether he should plant spring
wheat or corn oats What is needed the cooper
alton of the farmer indications are not lacking
the man behind the pillow getting away from his old
haolt OF looking down book farming" and coming
to appreciate the fact that he may be able to learn
something from the scientist.
The emergency may e a good thing for Amer
lean agriculture. 1t is bring the department
OF agriculture into great prominence and to give the
nation confidence in scientific methods. The
rotary of agriculture repeatedly said that 1t
were only possible to all American farmers adopt
the up-to-date methods by a small percentages
the more progressive and farmers American
agriculture would be absolutely revolutioniZed. Pro-
duction would be enormously increased If scientific
farming worked out by experts spread more
generally over the country under the
necessity, the nation receive valuable compen-
satlon for the price of war.
An enormous amount Of work Of hrst Importance
has already been done by the department on methods
for increasing yields The work in plant industry
as it is technically called, covers the improving of
standard varieties the fighting of plant diseases
the development of methods for the planting and
of crops, and the introduction OF plants from
all the world into the United States. 1t is worth
noting that large part of the where the wheat
wnter-kiled will be replanted with intro
ducee sd developed by the department.
Whers the winter wheat land Is to be replanted In
spring wheat large proportion of 1t will be given over
durum wheats These foreign varieties, ma
tive Asia and southeastern Russia These
wheats are probably the most important plant intro
duction made into the United States, measured
by results to days They have moved the wheat from
tier westward into the dry lands by 5oooooOO bushels
a year Their story is record of the overcoming
prejudice by persistent and demonstration. When
they produced in commercial qualities fifteen
years ago, they sold price 10 Is cents bushel
under the common spring wheats. Farmers prac-
tcally penalized for raising them. Last durum
wheats topped the market.
Russian wheat had been raised here and there In
the spring-wheat belt for before the de-
partment took Of the problem. Their droughtre-
ssting qualities made them attractive to farmers but
exceedingly hard that milers did not care
to handle Them and discouraged their use. Then the
experts got the explored Asia for the best
varieties, and had them planted widely through the
spring wheat belt At of different experiment
stations, they raised the durum wheats side by side
with wheats. and in large majority of cases.