New Britain herald., 1917-08-09
HOUSTON TO SURPASS ALL
 CROP RECORDS IN HISTORY
Secretary of Agriculture Plans Enormous Planting Drive to Care for Foreign and Domestic Needs
 in Wheat and Rye.

Washington, D G., Aug. S.-The production of over one billion bushels of wheat and over eighty-three million bushels of rye, through the planting of 47,387,0o0 acres to winter wheat and of 6,131,000 acres to rye this fall, Is the immediate war agricultural pro- gram for the nation announced late yesterday by David F. Houston. secre- tary of agriculture. This record win ter wheat acreage, an increase of IS per cent. over last year, would yield 72,OO0O00 bushels if the average yield for the past ten years is equaled, or under a repetition of the favora bic conditions of 1914 would give s8o,000,- 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 wheat. needed in any case, will be ab- solutely essential to prevent a serious shortage of breadstuffs next summe CT should the growing corn. now behind the season, be much damaged by early frosts.
 The program approved by the secre- tAry of agriculture represents the best
 
 agriculture and of state agricultural oficials and state councils of defense.
 The study of this question has in- volved many factors and the special ists have been aware from the first that tho demands for wheat may ex- ceed the supply next year Dffort therefore has been made to recom- mend 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 tho 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 short age exists.
 Tho 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 gen. eral shortage in the supply of seed or of farm machinery which Is nec- essary in the production of the wheat crop. It is understood also that am pie transportation facilities will be provided and fair price of wheat will be established. These factors have been assumed as fixed and sat isfactory. If any one or more fail to be adjusted in good time. no per son can tell how serious will be the effect on the total crop.
 The planting and cultivation of these increased acreages of fall-sown grains calls for unusual effort on the part of the farmers. Plans to place at tho disposal of farmers all assist ance possible, are being perfected m tho United States department of az ficulture, the state colleges of agri- culture and other state and local agencies which cooperate in farming matters. The assistance of success ful growers of wheat and rye in a 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 program as originally worked out by the federal department of agriculture called for somewhat more than A. 100000 acres to be sown 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 47.337,000 acres is made.
 Following is a summary of the de- partment's recommendations regard ing winter wheat and rye:
 Wheat.
 The planting of approximately 47,- 337,000 acres to winter wheat, on the basis of the average yield for the past ten years indicates 8 total production of 672 million bushels, which exceeds all previous winter wheat crops har- vested in tho 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 condi- ttons under which the winter wheat crop of 1914 was grown are again ex- pertenced, the yield of winter wheat next year will be 80,OoO,O0O bushels or by far the largest winter wheat crop ever produced and even 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 to that sown in the spring of 1917. or 19 mill lion acres, and the yield is up to the average of the last ten years, a crop of 251 million bushels of spring wheat will be harvested and if the yield per acre should equal that ob- tained in 1915 the crop will be $50 million bushels, the same as the great est 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 sowings planned for this fall,