The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-09
West Virginia is Asked to
Sow 100000
Acres.
GRAIN WILL Be NEEDED
Over 100000 Acres Will
\ Have to be Seed
ed.

~ WAV"b 1Au ONSA CA6hIJ I'LL GU AiAA-
lion bushels of rye rough the plant
Ing Of 47,S3IOOO acres to winter
wheat and of $4,000 acres to rye
THIS fall, is the immediate war agri-
cultural program for the nation an
nounced today by David F. Houston,
Secretary OF Agriculture. This rec
ord winter wheat acreage, an increase
Of is per cent over last year, would
yield $4,000, 600 bushels if the aver
age yield for the past ten years is
equaled, or under repetition OF the
adorable conditions OF 1914 would
give $4,000, 900 bushels. In either
case with a spring 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 abb
Bolutely essential to prevent a serious
shortage Of breadstuffffs next sum-
mer should the growing corn, now be-
hind 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 agrICui-
tura' "T'c'sl"
delen...
The sLuuy Z. ..... 4--.--UL uaa ~
volYed many factors and the special
lists have been aware from the first
that the demands f1r wheat may ex-
coed the supply nogt year. Effort
therefore has been made to recon-
mend in each state about as large an
acreage in wheat ant 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 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 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
81. .nding that there will be no gen.
Eral 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 facilit:2g W DC pro-
vided and a fair price Of wheat will
be established. These factors have
been assumed as fixed and satislac-
tory. 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 acreages of fall-sown grains
calls for unusual effort on the part of
the farmers. Inns to place at the
disposal of farmers all assistance
possible, are being perfected in the
b. S. Department OF Agriculture, the
State colleges of agriculture, and
other state and local agencies which
nooperate in farming matters. The
Assistance of successful growers Of
wheat and rye in campaign to turn
put 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 Agricul-
turs called for somewhat more than
100000 acres 10 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,SS7,0O is made,
Following is summary Of the De-
partment's recommendation regard
Ing 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 total production
Of 672 million bushels, which exceeds
all previous winter wheat crops har-
vested in the United States with toe
exceptions Of the crops of 1914 and
1915 when the acreages harvested
and yields per acre were both above
normal. If the extremely favorable
conditions under which the winter
wheat crop of 1914 was grown are
! sgain experienced, the yield Of winter
wheat next year will be $4,000, 900
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, OF
10 million acres, and tho yield Is up
to the average Of. the last ten years,
D crop Of 251 million bushels of spring
wheat will be harvested, and II the
yield per acre should equal that oh.
tanned in 1915 the crop Will be $50
million bushels, the same as the
greatest spring wheat crup ever pro
duced. Thus, with no increase in the
spring wheat acreage but with the Is
per cent increase over the 1916 win
ter wheat sowings planned for this
fall, the total wheat crop next fall
Hill be mora than one billion bushels
IL the crop meets with slightly better
than 10-year average conditions
With extremely favorable conditions
such as were experienced by the win
ter wheat crop in 1914 and the spring
wheat crop in 1915, the total yeilt
would amount to one and ope-quartei
billion bushels. A 10 per cent In
crease IA spring wheat acreage viii
1870 6la rrn1tIne Conditions vrouit