Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-12-14
Still Up To The Farmers.

With record crops grown this year, the
nations farm and live stock production
must be stimulated to still higher eff
cheney during the coming IL months if
domestic demands and the needs of the
Allies are to be adequately met, Secretary
Houston says in his late annual report to
Congress.
There must be no breakdown on the
farms, says the report. mo failure of
foods. feedstuffs or clothing. cannot en-
phasize too strongly the urgent necessity
OF doing everything possible to bring about
still further increase in the production
OF all essential commodities, particularly
OF the staple crops and live stock
las it becomes more obvious that the
surest way to force a righteous peace is to
employ effectively all the resources of the
nation. the farmers will increasingly put
forth their strength, send their sons to
fight at the front. and see to it that neither
this nation nor those with which we are
associated lack anything in the way of
materials for food and clothing"
While the precise figures for meat, poul-
try. dairy products and vegetable oils are
not yet available, the Secretary estimates
that the quantity of these commodities is
Greater than for 1915 and 1916.
The increase of 1,000.00O,OOO bushels
over the five-year pre-war average was
effected in this years crop of staples. I'm
revised estimates contained in the report
are as follows: 3.191, 100000 bushels of
corn, 659.797,000 of wheat, 1,5sO,OOO,-
600 of oats. 201,659,00O of barley, 56,-
100000 of rye. 16,813, 900 of buckwheat,
33,256.000 of rice, 73,3S0,00O of kafir,
4S9,6S6,000 of Irish potatoes. 84.727.-
600 of sweet potatoes. is 1857 900 of COM
mercial beans. 100000 of peaches.
n.4l9.O0O of pears. 177,733.000 of apples
and 7,621.000 of sugar beets.
The number Of mich cows and other
cattle" the report adds. has shown an
increase during the last four or five years.
the estimate for the former for the pres
ent year being 23,906.OO0, as against
22.76S,000 year ago and 20,497, 900
in 1918, before European war began, while
that for the cattle is 43, 29l. 900. as against
4O.849,000 year ago and 36,O30,0OO
in 1918. Unfortunately, the number of
sheep continues to decline the estimate
for 1917 is only 46.059,OOO. as against
48.4S3,000 year ago and 51,482,0
in 1918. 1t is estimated that the number
of hogs, which during recent years has
shown an upward tendency, decreased
more than 100000. or from 87,543, 900
to 82.747,OOO.
The mere statement that the popula-
ton has steadily increased in this coun-
try-the gain in the 10 years from 1908
to 1917 being 13,00O.OOO-with an abso
Lutte decrease in the live stock for the
same period. would sufficiently emphasize
the seriousness of the situation if condi-
tons were normal and the demand for
meats and fats were not so URGENT"
The report announces the organization
of a special agency to ascertain to what
extent the Government safely can permit
the use Of national forest ranges for cattle
grazing. A severe winter and late spring
in the West this year induced the opening
of the forest reserves to the animals much
earlier than usual, and in 1918 the emer
gency use of the ranges for grazing pur-
poses is to be much extended.
A 100000 saving has been made.
says the report, by the departments
placing specialists in the regions of great
est sweet potato production to superintend
the proper handling and storage of the
commodity. A special survey to collect
choice Irish potato seed stock is now being
conducted in Maine. Vermont, Masschu-
sets, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin and Colorado.
Discovery in Texas of the pink boil worm,
a highly destructive cotton pest, presents
another serious menace to the nations
cotton crop. but every means is being
utilized to eradicate the pest in the United
States. Its spread 80 far has been con-
fined to comparatively isolated areas.
Material development of native agricul-
tural resources, the report says, is expected
to follow complete organization of the de-
partment's extension service. Equipped
with an appropriation of $4.348,40O. the
service will soon be able to place one DEM
onstration possibly two-in nearly
every agricultural county in the country,
and woman in each large city to give
advice regarding the production. conser-
walton and utilization of food products.
Agents numbering 5000 are now per-
forming extension work among the nations
farmers and in the urban communities.