The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-12-08
FARMS MUST INCREASE
PRODUCTION this YEAR
Farm And Live Stock Production
Must be Higher il Nation Meets
Demands of Her People And The
Allies.

Washington, Dec. with record
crops grown this year, the nations
farm and live stock production must
be stimulated to a still higher effici-
ency during the coming II months,
if domestic demands and the needs
of the Allies are to be adequately
met, Secretary Houston says in his
annual report to Congress today.
There must be no breakdown on
the farms" says the report, no fail
ure of foods, feedStuffs or clothing.
| cannot emphasize too strongly the
urgent necessity of doing everything
possible to bring about a still furth-
er 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 cloth
ing"
While the precise figures for meat.
poultry, dairy products and yeget-
able oils are not yet available, the
Secretary estimates that The quanti-
ty of these commodities is greater
than for 1915 and 1916.
The increase OF 1000, 100000 bu-
shells over the fve-year pre-war av-
erage was effected in this years crop
OF staples. Unrevised estimates con-
tanned in the report are as follows:
3,191, 100000 bushels of corn, 659,-
900 of wheat, 1880 100000 of
oats, POI, $50, 200 of barley, $4,000
600 of rye, 16,S13,000 of buck
wheat, 33, 256, goo of rice, 1880, 1000
of kafir, 439 $3.50, 900 of Irish pota-
toes, 84,727,000 of sweet potatoes,
15,957,000 of commercial beans, A.
$685. 900 of peaches, IL, 419 900 of
pears, 177,733,000 of apples, and T.
621,000 of sugar beets.
1.-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 present year be-
ing 23,906,000, as against 22,768,-
600 A year ago and 20,497,000 in
1913, before the European war be-
gan, while that for the cattle is
43,291, 900, as against 40,S49, 900 d
year ago and 36,030,000 in 1918.
Unfortunately, the number of sheep
continues to decline; the estimate
for 1917 is only 46,059,00O, as
against 4S,4S3,000 a year ago and
81 $4,000 in 1913. 1t is estimated
that the number of hogs, which dur
rnpant has Shnwn N
ward tendency. decreased more than
100000. or from 67,543,0O0 to
62,747,0O0.
The mere statement that the
population has steadily increased in
this country-the gain in the ten
years from 1908 to 1917 being 49,
600, 000-with an absolute decrease
in the live stock for the same period,
would sufficiently emphasize the
seriousness of the situation if condi-
lions were normal and the demand
for meats and fate were not so ur-
gent"
The report announces the organi-
cation of special agency to ascer-
tain 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 emergency use of the ranges for
grazing purposes is to be much eX
tended
A 100000 saving has been
made, says the report, by the de-
partment's placing specialists in the
regions of greatest sweet potato pro-
duction to superintend the proper
handling and storage of the COM
modify. A special survey to collect
choice Irish potato seed stock now is
being conducted in Maine. Vermont,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Min
nesota, Wisconsin and Colorado.
Discovery in Texas of the pink boil
worm, highly destructive cotton
past, presents another serious men
ace to the nations cotton crop, but
every means is being utilized to
eradicate the pest in the United
States. Its spread so far has been
confined to comparatively isolated
areas.
Material development of native ag-
ricultural resources, the report says,
is expected to follow complete orga-
niZation of the department extern
sion service. Equipped with an ap-
preparation of $4,348,400, the SER
vice will soon he able to place one
demonstration agent-possIbly two
in nearly every agricultural coun-
ty in the country, and a woman in
each large city to give advice re-
garding the production, conservation
and utilization of food products.
Agents numbering 5000 are now
performing extension work among
the nations farmers and in the ur-
! ban communities