The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-08-15

wheat crop next year equal to tha'
of 1915, the Nation will have more
than one billion bushels of wheat fol
domestic use and export.
This vastly increased production
of wheat, needed in any case, will b
absolutely essential to prevent a ser
ious shortage of breadstuGfs mex
summer should the growing corn
now behind the season, be much
damaged by early frosts.
The program approved by. the Sec
rotary Of Agriculture represents the
best thought of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture and of State agricul.
tural officials and State councils OF
defense.
The study of this question has in.
volved many factors and the special
lists have been aware from the first
that the demands for wheat may ex-
coed the supply next year. Effort
therefore, has been made to recon-
mend in each State about as large an
acreage in wheat and rye a. 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 r not food 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 under
standing that there will be no sener-
al shortage in the supply of seed or
of farm machinery which is necessary
in the production Of the wheat crop.
It is understood also that ample
transportation facilities will be pro-
vided and a fair price of wheat will
be established. These factors have
been assumed as fixed and satisfac-
tory. If any one or more fail to be
adjusted in good time, no person
can tell how serious will be the eff
feet on the total crop.
The planting and cultivation of
these increased acreage Of fall-sown
grains calls for unusual effort on the
part of the farmers. Plans to place
at the disposal of farmers all assist
ance possible, are being perfected
in the U. s. Department of Agricul-
ture, the State colleges of agricul-
ture, and other State and local agen-
cies which cooperate in farming mat
tiers. The assistance Of successful
growers of wheat and rye in a cam
paign to turn out bumper crops in
1918 is assured.
The State officials will do their ut
most to get the acreage expected of
their States into the ground. The
program as originally worked out by
the Federal Department Of Agricul-
ture called for somewhat more than
"a, 900 900 acres to be sowl this fall.
When this proposal was presented to
the officials of the several States a
further increase was considered pos
sible and desirable by them. As a
consequence the recommendation for
the, sowing of 47,337,00O acres is
made. "
Following is a summary Of the
Departments recommendations re-
garding winter wheat and rye:
Wheat.
The planting of approximately A.
$4,000 acres to winter wheat, on
the basis of the average yield for
the past ten years indicates a total
production of 672 million bushels,
which exceeds all previous winter
wheat crops harvested in the United
States with the exception of the crop
Of 1914 and 1915 when the acreage
harvested and yields per acre were
both above normal.
If the extremely favorable condi.
lions under which the winter wheat
crop of 1914 was grown are again
experienced, the yield of winter
wheat next year will be $50, 900, 00(
bushels or by far the largest winter
crop ever produced and ever larger
than the total of both winter and
spring; wheat crops for all past years
except two. -.
It is too early to determine the
area which should be sown to wheat
next spring, but if this is equal te
that sown in the spring of 1917, OF
10 million acres, and the yield is W
to the average of the last ten years
a crop of 251 million bushels Of
spring wheat will be harvested, ano