The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-09

| Is asked to increase the s0Wings 20
per cent, as wheat Is well adapted to
newly-opened northern land and as
present prices make it a profitable
crop in the State. Montana Is asked
to put In an even million acres, an
increase Of nearly 80 per cent. But
this is not a large total for the entire
state, in view of its large acreage Of
unused land suitable for wheat.
The following states are asked to
increase their acreages 16 to 20 per
cent over those sown in the fall of
1916: New York, New Jersey, Mich
igan, Iowa, Tennessee, Arizona, Idaho
and California. The following states
are asked to increase their 1916 acre
ages by II to 10 per cent: Pennsyl-
Yania, Virginia, West Virginia, North
Carolina, Kentucky, Utah, Nevada
and Washington. The following states
are asked to increase their acreages
by 6 to 10 per cent: Delaware, Mary
land, Minnesota, Texas, Wyoming and
New Mexico. The states Of Missouri
and Colorado are each asked for s
per cent increase, while practically the
same aCreages as sOwn last fall are
asked for in Nebraska and South Da-
kota. The excessive winter killing in
Nebraska and consequent lack Of seed
wheat makes the situation for wheat
growers very difficult this year in
that state, but every effort is being
made to equal and increase If possible
the acreage of last year.
Most Of the states for which only
small percentage increases are sug-
gested recently increased largely
their wheat acreages and are already
growing about as much as is consist
cnt with well-balanced agriculture.
ARye to be Increased Heavily.
It is recommended that there be
sown in the United States this fall
5131 600 acres Of rye, which, on the
basis of ten-year averages, vii yield
S3,635,OOO bushels. This is an in
crease of $4,000 acres, or % per
cent over that sown last year, when
the largest acreage in the history OF
the country was put in. 1t is an in
crease of AS per cent over the 1915
acreage and OF 81 pc? cent over the
five-year (1912-1916) average Sown
acreage.
In any consideration OF the expan-
sion Of the acreage OF bread grains in
certain parts OF tho country, it is nee
essary to consider whc:t and rye to-
gether. This Is bccGa. rye can be
planted safely on ma -eld3 with
less risk than wheat further, rye
can be used as a substitute for wheat
as n bread grain by those who are &C
customed to Il. Rye succeeds on
poorer soils and with less fertilizer
and in colder cliI tcs than wheat,
and for these reasons should be plant
ed in preference to wheat where 1t
has been proved a safer crop. the
farmer who, because of an attractive
guaranteed price for wheat, may be
tempted to plant wheat rather than
rye in a locality where rye is the
more certain crop takes a speculative
risk of loss through winter killing |
an obstructive wheat diseases which |
Is unwarranted. While no guaranteed
price for rye has been authorized by
Congress, theer 70 cN.Ty reason to e. |
pect that the price Ct rye Sor the next
year will bear eRtiGfaOnsry Eelc4tnn |
to that Of wheat and. therefore, JIG
thy the planting Of re where t"s
present experience WITH It inaScateS !
its superiority
Basis CT aA-Irased age Acreage
Fall-sown rye SHOULD supplem@.
spring wheat to a considerable extcut |
in tie spring wheat bell AN enlarg-
ed acreage OF rye ip"oSlition to the
usual spring whsat sowings will help
to guarantee a plentiful supply Of
bread grains next year. A disaster
such as that which was caused by the
combined effect of rust in the spring
wheat belt last winter is thereby at
least partially insured against. 1t Is |
recommended therefore that the acre
age Of rye be increased this year in |
the spring wheat sections over that
sown in the fall of 1916 aboGt 100,-
600 acres in North Dakota, $4,000
acres in Minnesota, $4,000 acres in |
Wisconsin, and 5000 acres in South
Dakota.
Rye should be sown more geenrally
on the sandy lands along the Lakes
in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, !
and New York, and in New Jersey, 80
an increase Of 10000 acres is recon.
mended for Michigan, 1900 for In
diana, and $4,000 for New Jersey.
Rye also should take the place Of
many of the old pasture and hay
lands of New York, Pennsylvania,
and the New England States. Rye is
a safe rcrop than winter wheat for
such lands Pennsylvania has much
land more suitable for rye than for
wheat, so an increase Of 10, 900 acres
is suggested for that state. New York
is asked for only 5000 acres increase,
but it is thought that a larger Increase
in rye may be possible in that state.
Special Methods to Increase Yields
of Wheat and Rye.
Specialists of the Department Of
Agriculture and the State Agricultur-
al Colleges hope that by better meth
DDS the average yield per acre will be
at least maintained wherever there is
a fertilizer shortage and will be in
creased in other sections. Much edu-
cational work will be done to make
this desire an actuality, and in this
campaign the most successful grow
ers will have prominent part. For
instance, it is stated that on the land
that could be sown to fall wheat this
autumn, It Is possible materially to