Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-14
BILLION BUSHELS Of
WHEAT IN 1878 IS
ASKED Of FARMERS
Uncle Sam Says This Amount
Is Needed to Save the
Nation and Her Allies From
Starvation
By HARRY d. HUNT.

WASHINGTON. n. G.. Aug. 12.-One
billion bushels Of wheat must be pro-
duced in the United States in 1918 "a
guarantee sufficient foodstuffs to this
country and her allies through another
year of war.
To nrovide this volume of grain, as
Stunning a yield per acre equal to the
average for the past ten years, the
winter wheat acreage of the country
must be increased is per cent.
This would give a winter wheat acre.
age of 1881, 900 acres. and promise a
crop of about 675.OOO,OO0 bushels.
Practically no increase may be ex-
pected in the acreage of spring wheat
for next years crop. but an effort will
be made to keep it at this years fig
ures of $4,000, 600 acres. Under favor
able conditions this would give a har-
vest of $50, 10000 bushels.
The department of agriculture is
sending to each state estimates Of the
acreage that must be planted to wheat
this fall IL we are to meet next years
demand for grain. State agricultural
bodies are to be enlisted in the icam-
paign to win the fullest possible CO.
operation of farmers.
Georgia is asked to plant $4,000
acres TO winter wheat, an increase Of
100 per cent over last years figure
which was $4,000.
The problem of getting a maximum
crop of winter wheat sown has been
complicated by the failure of congress
TO pass the food control bill in time
TO regulate movement of this year
wheat crop. A large percentage OF the
crop already is threshed Farmers have
hesitated whether to move their wheat
- hn1d
passage Of the food bill
Also. thousands of farmers i'll the
wheat belt who normally buy corn to
carry them through the late months
of summer find that the grain men who
are Offering them around 81 per bushel
for their wheat have cornered the sur
Mus of last years corn crop and de-
manding Sass per hundred pounds or
about sI75 per bushel. for ii, The
feeding value of wheat for growing pigs
and young stock is so much higher than
that Of corn that these farmers are
confronting the problem of selling wheat
at from So to s2.2O per bushel. which,
used as ground feed, would go as Tar
as at least go worth of the corn they
would have TO buy.
Because of these conditions. in which
the farmer, as usual, is getting II In
the neChs NliS pAbbANiii VI
wheat acreage sufficient to produce
billion bushels next year is serious.
The government plans TO assist In
securing a sufficient supply of fertiliz-
ers. farm machinery and good seed a
fair minimum price and better condi-
tons for transportation and marketing
are also to be held out as inducements
and every possible assistance is to be
-placed at the disposal Of the fArmers
through the department of agriculture
the food administration, state colleges
of agriculture, and other local agencies.
Kansas which this year has one-hfth
os the total winter wheat acreage of the
entire country, is to be asked to SOW an
extra million acres this fall Ohio is
asked to sow 100000 acres, or 1,l2O,-
600 acres more than last year Okla
Roma, Indiana and Illinois are asked to
increase their acreage by more than half
a million acres each.
Educational work with a view to in
creasing the yield per acre will be car
ried on IN every wheat-producing coun-
.ty-
To carry out the program laid down,
AGRICULTURAL experts admit, without dis
rupting correct farming practice, will
call for tremendous effort on the part
of Americas farmers. But this effort,
they believe, will be made gladly as a
necessary part of war work.
A billion bushels of wheat for 1918?
Just watch Uncle Sam raise 1t!