The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-04-25

crop Of considerable Importance. The
acreage could we'll be increased, espec-
tally in portions of New York, Penn
sylvania, and New England, where
the crop now is grown to consider
able extent.
Rice Gaining in Popularity.
Rice at present prices provide more
food value for the money than most
of the other cereals. Fuller apprecia-
tion of its value should stimulate pro-
duction quickly in Louisiana, Texas,
Arkansas, and California to an ex-
tent that would increase the total
food supply greatly.
Increased Acreage of Grain Sorghums
Warranted.
The prices Of the grain rghums
during the past season appear to
warrant increase of acreage of these
grains in the regions where they can
succeed, as in western Kansas, Okla
homa, and northern Texas. This in
crease should be practically to the
limit of the acreage that can be
handled properly with the labor and
facilities available. Grain sorghums
may we'll be used in that area to re-
place winter wheat on fields aban-
doned because of winter injury. The
grain sorghums are but little known
to eastern farmers, but are assuming
Importance rapidly in the drier por-
tlons of the country where corn and
the small grains are unreliable be-
cause of frequent insufficiency of
moisture. In the past these grains
have been used chiefly as poultry and
stock feed, but they have possibilities
also as human food.
Flax for New Ground.
Though flax is not primarily a food
crop, the cake remaining when oil is
expressed from the seed constitutes
an important element in the dairy
food supply. Its increase use in this
way would release other grain pro-
ducts for use as food AS crop
peculiarly adapted to newly broken
land in the spring wheat States where
1T IS chiefly grown, the acreage of
flax should be increased to the great
est extent possible.
Expand the Corn Acreage.
Corn is the leading food and feed
crop of the United States in geo.
graphic range Of production, acreage,
and quantity of product. The vital
Importance Of large acreage of this
crop properly cared for, therefore, is
obvious. Because of the prices OBJ
tanned for the last crop and the world
demand for this grain, it's profitable
ness to the American farmer during
the approaching season is clear. The
105 5,954,0O0 acres planted to corn in
1916 yielded 1858, 100000 bushels or
more than 40O,0OO,0OO bushels less
than the large crop of 1872, ,994,-
1886 bushels-and considerably
less than the five-year average-2,-
1872 32,457,000 bushels. Conditions now
warrant the planting of the largest
acreage of this crop which it is pos
sible to handle effectively.
Although fall is the proper time
for breaking sod for corn, there are
many unproductive and foul mea-
dows and Indifferent pastures in Hi
nois, Indiana, Ohio, and the Middle
Atlantic and Northeastern States that
under existing conditions can be
broken now to advantage and planted
to corn. The resulting reduction of
hay and pasture would be more than
replaced by the corn stover, ensiagc,
and grain produced. Corn as a cult
waited crop has been found we'll suited
to replace summer-fallowing in por-
tions of Washington, Idaho, Oregon,
Wyoming, and Montana, the forage
and grain produced not materially re-
ducing the succeeding grain crop.
Plant Early and Reduce Risk.
Earlncss Of maturity, other factors
being equal, is advantageous in the
case of practically all grain crops Re-
latively early maturing varieties
should be selected where possible, and
the planting should be done at the
earliest suitable date. With the small
grains an advance of three or four
days in stage Of maturity frequently
saves crop from serious damage by
rust. With corn similar advantage
is obtained by early maturity when
severe drouGhts are encountered and
when killing fros.s occur toward the
end of the season. Corn grown on
the rich bottoms which constitute the
best corn lands often is GamapcJ bv