Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-09
DEPARTMENT. OF AGRICULTURE
HOPES TO ENORMOUSLY IN,
n CREASE YIELD NEXT YEAR.
EIGHTEEN PER CENT MORE
WINTER WHEAT ACREAGE
State Officials to Cooperate In sseur.
ing High Mark For oduetion-Rye
Acreage Also to Be Expanded For
Use as Substitute For Wheat Flour
Details Of Acreage Proposed.

washington, Aug. 9.-The production
and over eighty-tnree million bushes
Of rye, .hru the planting OF 47,337,oG0
acres to winter wheat and Of 5,131,0 900
acres to rye this fall, is the imme-
di:te war agricultural program :or the
ration announced today by David +.
Houston, secretary Of agriculture. This
record winter wheat acreage, an N
crease of Is per cent over last year,
would yield eT2,0O0,00O bushels If the
average yield for the past ten years u
equaied, or Under repetition OF the
favorable conditions of 1914 would give
$50 0OO, 900 bushels. In either case
with a spring wheat crop next year
equal to that Of 1915 the nation will
have more than one billion bushels OF
wheat for domestic use and export.
This vastly increased production Of
thea. needed in any case, Will be alb
scluteiy essential to prevent a serious
shortage Of breadstuffs next summer
should the growing corn, now behind
the seasC II, be much damaged by early
frcs.s.
The program approved by the sec
retar.,, of agriculture represents thu
.cst thought of the United States d.
partn,ent, of agriculture and Of stale
off icialS and state councils
o. defense.
The s..dy Of this question has IN.
volvec many factors and the special.
isis halc been aware from the hrs.
Tat the Demands for wheat may ex-
ceed tli.= supply next year. Efoit
therefore ras been made to recommend
II. each state about as large an acre-
age IL Nneat and rye as can be sowa
withrut ursetting proper farm practice
which must be maintained in the In
lerest of wheat and rye crops this and
succeeding years, as well as in the IN
trrest of other necessary spring-plant-
cd crops which are not discussed in
detail at this time as they are not
fuod crops in which a marked shortage
exists.
The estimates, the department states,
are made with the knowledge that
there is some shortage Of the fertilizer
supply but with the understanding
that there will be no general shortage
in the supply Of seed or OF farm ma
chinery which Is necessary in the pro-
duction Of the wheat crop. 1t is I'M
derstood also that ample transporta-
ton facilities will be provided and a
fair price of wheat will be established.
These factors have been assumed as
fixed and satisfactory. II 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 and cultivation Of these
increased acreages Of fall-sown grains
cali for unusual effort on the part OF
the farmers. Plans to place at the
disposal of farmers all assistance pos
sible, are being perfected in the United
States department Of agriculture, the
state colleges Of agriculture, and other
state and local agencies which coop
crate in farming matters. The assist
ance 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 the acreages expected Of
their states into the ground. The pro-
gram as originally worked out by the
federal department Of agriculture
called for somewhat more than 44,00O.-
900 acres to be sown this fall. When