The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-08-11
BILLION BUSHELS OF
WHEAT next YEAR
United States Department Of Agricul.
ture and State Officials Set High
Mark for Wheat Production
Winter Wheat Acreage to
be Increased This Fall.

Washington, d. c., August 1O-The
production of over one billion bushels
Of wheat and over eighty-three mil
lion bushels of rye, through the plant
ing of 1887 900 acres to winter wheat
and of 5,131.O00 acres to rye this fall,
Is the immediate war agricultural
program for the Nation announced
today by David F. Houston, Secretary
of Agriculture. This record winter
wheat acreage, an increase of Is per
cent over last year, would yield 672,-
100000 bushels II the average yield
for the past ten years is equaled. or
under REPETITION Of the favorable con-
ditions of 1914 would give $4,000, 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 alb
solutely essential to prevent a SER
ious shortage Of breadstuffs 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 agricultur-
al officials and State councils of de-
tense.
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 al
acreage in wheat and rye as can b.
sown without upsetting proper farm
practice which must be maintained IL
the interest Of wheat andsrye crop
this and succeeding years, as we'll a
in the interest of other necessar,
spring-planted crops are not discuss
ed in detail at this time as they ar
not food crops in which a marke,
shortage exists.
The estimates, the Department
states, are made with the knowledg
that there is some shortage of tn
fertilizer supply but with the under
standing that there will be no gen
eral shortage in the supply Of seed o
Of farm machinery which is necessar
nthe production of the wheat croI
1t Is understood also that ample trans
portation facilities will be provide
and fair price Of wheat will be es
tablished. These factors have bee
assumed as fixed and satisfactory.
any one or more fail to be adjusted Il
good time, no person can tell how ser
ious will be the effect on the tota
crop.
The planting and cultivation @
these increased acreages Of fall-sow
grains calls for unusual effort on tn
part Of the farmers. Plans to plac
! at the disposal Of farmers all assist
ance possible, are being perfected 1
the U. s. Department Of Agricultur,
the State colleges Of agriculture, an
. other State and local agencies whic
cooperate in farming matters. Tn
assistance Of successful growers q
wheat and rye in a campaign to tur
out bumper crops in 1918 is assured.
The State officials will do their u,
most to get the acreages expected {
their States into the ground. The pre-
gram as originally worked out by th
Federal Department of Agricultur
called for somewhat more than 44,0Ot
900 acres to be sown this fall. Whe
this proposal was presented to the o.
ficials Of the several States a furthe
increase was considered possible an