The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-12-19
CROP CONDITION
IS LOWEST YET,
EAT more CORN
Report Shows Growing Cereal
Only 70 Percent Of Normal,
HALF BILLION BUSHELS
Largest Acreage Planted May
Yield Smallest Amount,

WASHINGTON, Dec, lo.--Wiuter
wheat, this year, planted on the largest
acreage ever sown in the history Of
the country, showed on December |
the lowest condition on record. A
forecast OF a crop Of only s40D00,0O
bushels was made today by the de-.
partment OF agriculture. The final
duction however. will be above or be-
low that quantity according as condi-
tons hereafter are better or worse Than
the average.
Torty-lwo MiIlien Acres sown.
Winter wheat sown this fall for next
years harvest aggregates t2,l70O00
acres and ita condition OF, December !,
VIZ -7oJ percent Of normal
The acreage Is 4 percent more than
estimated acres sown IN the fall OF
1915
The area sown to rye is 6.ll90O0
acres, which Is $50 percent more than
sown 4 year ago and thc condition 81
the crop on Dtcensbsr |, was a. per.
cent of notfnlL M
| wsslAsr Party 70 Diama. /.
i In . s,aten,ent interpreting todays
report, the department. said
| The acreage planted TO winter wheat
70 estimated 10 be A2,l70,000 acres, an
inefssie Of ipur percent over the area
| planted Z year ago. In the campaign
70 produce . hiillon bushels OF wheat
4 next year 10 help feed our allies, ss
Z | ssvnaUR Of H,3NDM Of winter wheat
woA sadtceAted. Eailute to reach this
!. AAaougt We Not due apparently to the
inteetlsn ~ farmers, bat 10 the adverse
III eopdittpnG, bll1 'eto unussai weather,
lite hsfysAt of 0thsr crop, and short.
! ase Of farm help, preventing the put
ting out Of the full acreage desired.
Il prouth In Oklahoma.
!, The fall was exceedingly dry In
many respects, particularly In the
southwest--Kansas, Oklahoma and
Texas--also IN the far northwest
, Idaho and Washington Although the
incresseis less than hoped, the acreage
is the largest ever planted In 1914,
the previous year OF lnrgeat acreage.
420lzO00 acres were planted and 084,.
! 10000 bushels produced.
Il The condition Of ths plant on Dee.
was low, being 7g.J percent, which
compares with q tcn-year average con.
dltion on same date OF 6p5 The lowest
condition ever reported in previous
, years on Dec. | Is 8i.A In 1885,
IA punitive forecast Is not usually
made for the December condition re-
! ports, because great changes can occur
: between now and harvest for better
: or wsyse"
II Farmers Told "a Plant More.
4 Increased sowing Of wheat and rye
4 Throughout the country were urged upon
G farmers by, the department OF agricul-
: ture, In order TO supply the needs OF the
i co-beiliaereuts OF the United States IN
the war. This years short crop OF
q wheat has ,necessitated an option OF
{. methods to conserve the slppiy by hav-
u Ing consumers'in the United States cut
: : down use Of that cereal. 5h'
The wheatlsss day and the uss
Of oornmssl a. . substitute, are
measures food administration offie-
isis are urging, In order to increase
the quantity Of wheat that may bs
sent abroad.
While last years sowings OF winter
wheat were on the second largest area
ever planted to that cereal, severe win.
{ ter conditions caused an abandonment
4 OF more than 81 percent OF the acreage
|. Last fall 40,s54,O00 acres were planted
to winter wheat, revised figures show
but the area harvested was only U,-
s 6sJ0OO acres, reduction OF 1881 ,WO
acres from the planted area.
The 1915 sowings were on 5o.D3WO
acres. while the harvested area tina,
season was 34,8l9.00 acres.
- - Abandoned Acreage Greater.
ID Last years abandoned acreage wa.
he the heaviest on record. The average
b. abandonment Of acreage, due to winter
as conditions, is about 10 percent, the low
nj est abandonment In the last fifteen years
A. being 28 percent In 1908, and the high
AZ est, excepting last year, was 0l per-
H. cent in 1912.
en-
C~..ss.os~~ Tc~v~o1O