The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-29
POTATO CROP SHORT

| AOlAIO ShOT SdOhl
 l MT. Roberts encloses copy of a let ter from the dean of the New York State College of Agriculture to the governor of the New York federal reserve bank, | indicating a serious shortage of potatoes because of the scarcity of seed for plant ! ing. The most liberal estimate" he says, ifs that there is in the state seed
 enough to plant only from one- third to one-half of normal potato crop." He
 also says that if present prices advance this limited seed supply will be cut into | largely.
 The writer above quoted brought out iii strong way the shortage of labor on the farms of New York, saying that in the | lneighborhood of the college only one hired man was found on 10 farms, that though farmers are paying unprecedented
 wages they cannot compete with the in dustries that are draining the rural sec tions. Proposals to put lands heretofore
 in hay in potatoes and like crops meets ! the statement that it cannot be done
 safely because of the damage it will do
 to the cattle and dairy industry.
 WILL SOUTH HEED WARNING? ! I talked to prominent railroad man l today. He said that in Alabama and parts of Georgia there was an indication or great increase in the food crops; in l fact, he felt that this was safely to be anticipated in all parts of the south. l However" he continued, '1n south Geor- I gia they are fiixng to put the fence cor ners even in cotton.''
 | This official also expressed a fear that the outgo of negroes was going to make 1 things hard in the country, for in his 1 opinion, the bulk of the negroes going north came from the country. "The town negro don't get excited over a movement of this kind," he said. '"He knows lot
 of the big talk to get the country negro moving is all talk. I don't know just what is being done to make up for the
 labor thus lost, but do not think it
 will cause any less food to be planted | this year."
 AN ALARM IS SOUNDED
 In the bulletin above referred to is the
 following warning: Whether we have i war or peace, the population must be l fed. and if, unfortunately. weather condi-
 tfcns should be unfavorable, and the yield
 no better than last years the food situa- 1 ton next winter will be so much worse than it is now that we may well take
 alarm while there is yet time to provide against the possibility"
 The Argentine wheat crop is reported 1 to be so nearly a failure as to leave lit | thing is true of corn. The Australian wheat Is at .65. compared to "A at like against 1S7,129,0Q0 a year ago. with SO,00O- Q00 bushels carried over. French winter wheat is at 656 compared to "A at like time year ago, and both the Holland and English crops are backward. Princi- pal winter wheat states in this country
 report shortage of moisture.
 1 Cold weather has cut off much of the 1 Uh ic olc
 the abnormally high cost of seed for the
 new planting. The warning of the Ma
 tional City bank. quoted above, is such
 g. strong appeal to the people of the south that I give 1t below:
 1 Tn ordinary times we can draw on
 other countries to make up for domestic
 shortage. We have frequently imported
 potatoes from Europe. and the effects of
 not being able to do so now are appa rent. I It is just as important under present | conditions to have reserves of food as;
 Preserves of cartridges. When so much IS
 dependent upon a good crop, it is thu part of prudence for the entire commun- ity to concern itself about the situation from the beginning of the season.
 ! There are certain common vegetables
 which make up large part of the food l supply, such as potatoes, beans, onions, etc, which do-ewell in. all. parts of the
 country, and can be grown in a small way without machinery, whose produc- tiOn this year in ample quantities should
 be assured beyond chance or doubt This lgarden production can be greatly in cgeased if popular interest is awakened
 and systematic efforts are made to place l idle town lots and nearby tracts at the
 disposal of people who are willing to
 work them. .t N ORGANIZATION REQUIRED