The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-16

 lota. 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 tho 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 grow ing about as much as is consistent with a well-balanced agriculture.
 RYE TO BE INCREASED
 sown in the United States this fall 5,1S1,000 acres of rye which, on the basis of 10-year averages, will yield 83.635.000 bushels. This in an increase of 917,000 acres. or 22 per cent over that sown last year. when the largest acreage in the history of the country was put in. It is an increase of 4S per cent over the 1915 acreage and of 57 per cent over the five-year Q912- 1916) average sown acreage.
 In any consideration of the expan . sion of the acreage of bread grains In certain parts of the country it is necessary to consider wheat and rye together This is because rye can be planted safely on many fields with less risk than wheat.
 Further, rye can be used as substi- tute for wheat as a bread grain by those who are accustomed to it. Rye sue ceeds on poorer soils and with less fer tilizer and in colder climates than wheat, and for these reasons should be planted in preference to wheat where it has been proved safer crop The farmer who, because of an attractive guaranteed price for wheat, may be tempted to plant raj fhar rxya in ,f.r-x |. rye is the more certain crop takes a speculative risk of loss through winter killing and destructive wheat diseases which is unwarran.ad. While no guaran- teed price for rye has been authorized by Congress- there is every reason to ex- pect that the price of rye for the next year year will bear satisfactory rela- tion to that of wheat and, therefore jus tify the planting of rye where the present experience with it indicates it's superior ity
 Fall sown rye should supplement spring wheat to considerable extent in the spring wheat belt. An enlarged acreage of rye in addition to the usual spring wheat sowings will he,p to guarantee a plentiful supply of bread grains next year. disaster, such as that which was caused by the combined effect of rust in the spring wheat belt in 1916. and winter killing in the winter wheat belt last win ter, is thereby at least partially in- sured against. It is recommended, there fore, that the acreage of rye be increased this year in the spring wheat sections over that sown in the fall of 1916 about 100000 acres in North Dakota 75, 900 acres in Minnesota, 5000 acres in Wisconsin, and GOOD acres in South Dakota.
 Rye should be sown, more generally on the sandy lands along the lakes in Mich igan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and New York and in NaW m a of 76,0o0 acres is recommended for Mich igan. 72,000 for Indiana, and 42,O00 for New Jersey. Rye also should take the place of many of the old pastures and hay lands of New York. Pennsylvania and, the New England states. Rye is a safer crop than winter wheat for such lands. Pennsylvania has much land more suitable for rye than for wheat, so an increase of 10000 acres is suggested for that state. New York is asked for only 5000 acres increase but it is thought that larger increase in rye may be possible in that state.
 Some increases over the 1916 sowngs are asked for in the cotton belt. It is estimated that last fall there was sown in the cotton belt about 1000 acres foo rye. It seems advisable to recommend taht at least 250.00 0acres of rye should be sown in the cotton belt this year, replac- ing some of the winter oat acreage.
 The states in the corn belt are asked also to enlarge considerably their rye acreage over that sown in 1916. as the lighter soils which are not especially well adapted for wheat could be planted to advantage to- rye.
 Specialists of the department of ag- riculture and the state agricultural colleges hope that by better methods the average yield per acre will be at least maintained wherever there is fertilizer shortage and will be in- creased in ther sections. Much educa- tional work will be done to make this desire an actuality and in this cam paign the most successful growers will have a 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 increase the yield per acre by putting into prac- tice some principles that are already well known to most farmers. These should appeal especially to those who cannot increase their usual acreageS