The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-08-16

lists have been aware from the first
that the demands for wheat may ex-
coed the supply next year. Effort
has been made to recommend
in each state about as large an acre
age in wheat and rye as can be sown
without upsetting proper farm prac-
tice 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 marked short
age exists.
The estimate, the Department
states, are made with the knowledge
that there is some shortage of the
fertilizer supply but with the under
standing that there will be no general
shortage in the supply of seed or of
farm machinery which is necessary
in the production of the wheat crop.
1t is understood also that ample tran
sportation facilities will be provided
and fair price of wheat will be es-
tabli shed These factors have been
assumed as fixed and satisfactorily
If any one or more fail to be adjusted
in good time, no person can tell how
serious will be the effect on the total
crop.
The planting anu cultivation of these
increased acreaces of fall-soWn grain
calls for unusual effort on the part of
the farmers. Plans to place at the
disposal of the farmers all assistance
possible, are being perfected in the
U. S. Department of Agricultural, the
State colleges of Agricultural, and
other state and local agencies which
cooperate in farming matters. The
assistance of successful growers of
wheat and rye in campaign to turn
out bumper crops in 1918 is assured
The State officials will do their ut
most to get acreages expected of their
states into the ground. The program
as originally worked out by the Fed
eral Department of Agricultural call
ed for somewhat more than 44,OOO,
900 acres to be sown this fall. When
this proposal was presented to the Of
ficials of the several states further
increase was considered possible and
desirable by them. AS consequence
the recommendation for the sowing
Of 47,337 900 acres is made
Following is summary of the De-
partment's recommendations regard
ing winter wheat and rye:
WHEAT
The planting of approximately
AZ, $4,000 acres to winter wheat, on
the basis of the average yield for the
past ten years indicates a total pro-
duction of 672 million 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 conditions
under which the winter crops of 1914
was grown are again experienced, the
yield of winter wheat next year will
be SSO,oo0,O00 bushels or by far the
largest winter wheat crop ever pro
duced and even larger than the total
of both winter and spring wheat crops
for all past years except two.
1t is too early to determine the area
which should be sown to wheat next
spring, but if this is equal to that
sown in the spring of 1917, or 10 mil
lion acres, and the yield is up to the
average of the last ten years, crop
of 251 million bushels Of spring wheat
will be harvested, and if the yield per
acre should equal that obtained in 1915
the crop will be $50 million bushels,
the same as the greatest spring wheat
crop ever produced. Thus, with no
increase in the spring wheat acreage
but with the 1S per cent increase over
the 1916 winter wheat sowings plan
ned for this fall, the total wheat crop
next year will be more than one bill
lion bushels, if the crops meets with
slightly better than 10-year average
conditions, such as were expert
enced by the winter wheat crop in
1914 and the spring wheat crop in
1915, the total yield would amount to
one and one-quarter billion bushels
A 10 per cent increase in spring wheat
acreage with favorable growing con-
ditions would add another 3O,000,O0O