Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-20
Will Exceed Any Previous
Yield by 2OO,OOO,OOO Bush
els, Declares Expert
WOMEN AS HARVESTERS
Mobilization of Schoolboys
Necessary to Garner Output,
-, Scientists Are Told

tu,SSi,adelphia t,S by one of the leading agricul-
,,ra, experts of the nation.
''The sneaker was pr Erwin +. Smith,
,ho bureau Of Plant Industry, Depart
-, u ,of Agriculture. ono or the score of
n,nd n. scientists who are here to attend the
avtunnn meeting of the National Academy
~ Sciences, in Engineering Hall. Cniver-
oi,, OF Pennsylvania. The sessions will
continue two days.
Doctor Smith declared that in order to
.arvest this enormous CROP, immediate at
,sn,ion should. he concentrated upon the
.gricult,iral labcr shortage He said that
hool hoys and even women, as well as
mon not acceptable for the army, must he
mohilized TO harvest the crop.
The summary punishment OF all persons
found setting fire to wheat helds, flour
mills or grain store houses. with tho view
Of aiding the enemy was demanded by the
speaker.
Doctor smith said in part
''The question as to what can be done in
regard to- the nations wheat problem re-
solves itself into two main considerations:
First plans looking toward me supply OF
our immediate needs. Second. plans look
ing TO the future increase of wheat produc-
tion in the United States.
"As regards the present, We know that
we must help to feed England, Belgium.
france and Italy. This means a much
larger export Of wheat than formerly, and
70 bring this about we must curtail our own
consumption Of white bread during tho
present year, because the wheat crop of
1917, in spite of the enormous amount of
spripg wheat sown, is only an average crop
(6Ss million bushels) and there are l5e
million extra mouths to feed.
"In other words tC do our duty by our
allies and certainly we shall not be found
wanting therein, we must substitute maize,
and especially potatoes, fruits and other
nerishable vegetable products for a portion
' OF our customary white bread. We have
this year n very large crop Cf maize t3.19l,-
0o0, 600 bushels. or more than i0O,O0O.00O
bushels in excess of an average crop TO
which may be added all that great quantity
formerly destroyed by the manufacture Of
whisky Fortunately also, we have an
excess CT Irish potatoes approximating S0,-
100000 bushels. II we eat more corn we
cannot feed rs much stock therefore, we
must also eat less meat. which for the
we-fed portion of the community will be
no real hardship. but on the other hand
should result in "A distinct physical gain,
since most of us eat too much meat. In
1917. to help bring about this necessary
conservation OF grain. We cultivated much
waste land in and around cities and viii
lagos in vegetable gardens and we must
do the same In 1918. Every fertile spot
should be made to produce food.
"As regards next year. the United States
Department of Agriculture, the States IN
pertinent Stations, the Council of National
Defense. the National Department of Food
Conservation. the press and Congress, the
latter especially by establishing very high
minimum wheat price (s2.20 per bushel, or
more than double Cnr average wheat price
for long series Of years. have done all
that II is possible, to do to stimulate wheat
production in the United States in 1915
Probably not less than $4,000. 900 acres have
been and will be planted in this country
(winter and spring wheat together), and if
the weather conditions are favorable the
yield should be at least 200, 900, 900 bushels
HfNfn nFtv al
had and nearly double our ordinary yield
which for the last twenty years has aver
aged 66S000.000 bushels.
VENGEANCE ON FIREBUGs
Just now in our mist, calling for inn
mediate attention. is great group of grain
wasters. L. refer to the people who set
fire TO wheat fields. flour mills and grain
sforehouses with the view of aiding the
. enemy. In the name of humanity we
should make short work of these indivi-
duals.
owing to war conditions there was a
Il decided shortage of agricultural labor in
the United States in 1917. and this Is GER
tain to persist and even to increase in
Il 1918 Personally, 1 do not see how the
problem OF harvesting so great a crop is
10 be solved unless people from our viii
hges and cities volunteer in great num-
oers or are sent out to work in the har-
vest fields. They should think. be or
y sanized and sent The high school and the
grammar-school boys of the country could
be OF enormous assistance. in securing the
harvest II properly organized. Also those
drafted men not found acceptable for the
army should be used To some extent,
women must also work in the fields, | be-
heve. In some way, the crop must be
harvested
Looking toward the future, It seems
tkely that following this war there will
oe world shortage Of wheat for many
years European fields, agricultural imple-
ments, stock, farm buildings and farm
iaborers have been destroyed in such enor-
nous numbers and over such large area
mat to bring agriculture. wheat culture in
GUIDED. back to its old thrift. especially
IN Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Ru-
mania and western Russia, will be the task
OF years. Moreover, the use of high ex-
pioslves, having enormously increased in
mus war, we must not lose sight of the fact
mat the fixed nitrogen so essential to the
srowth OF the wheat plant will be harder
tnan ever to obtain. since every shot from
gun converts Just SO much of this ex-
pensive agricultural substance into inert
ana poisonous gases Truly man is the
WORST destroyer, and kings and CONNER
clsl men who begin wars are the greatest
criminals on the face of the earth.
IN view Of this prospective shortage Of
wheat Tor at least a decade. and probably
ior much longer period. and also because
our own population will probably increase
from hundred million TO 140 million by
the beginning of the second half of the
century. we must plan to grow in the
United States nearly or quite double our
present annual wheat crop; or, in other
words moro than 1900 million bushels an
nually."
TuMoRS ARE INHERITABLE
a, rhat all tumors. whether malignant" or
penign,' carry in themselves factor which
tehds to make them Unbeatable by one gen.
eration or more was tho view taken by DR..
Nnaries b. Davenport, of the Carnegie IA
sstution, Washington. after years Of ex-
saustNe study. Doctor Davenport's paper
aeat especially with a rare type of tumor.
Gus disease.
Particular interest is being shown in the
osnvention ~ because of the fact that many
na.e the members have been engaged In i'm
snt Government work. One of the
~ important features will be the report
i,.Se %e National Research Council. author
VOL oy PRESIDENT Wilson to do special war
Hs,S' This council Is headed by George f..
vii, OF the Carnegie Institution. Mr.. Hale
M speak tomorrow about the general work
bs,. "e council, and two of his fellow menu
MAJ. wiplam III. Holmes. Of the United
Thoss National Museum, and Edward l..
sn.,noike, Of Columbia University, will
on special phases of the work which