Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-07-19
Forecast OF Actual Weld
b.525. 900 600 5.852.6g5,oOo

Total 90, 5.525, 900 900 5,s52.be5. 900
Thus. placing the very best con-
struction on the possible yieu OF
grain this year based on the July
forecast OF the Department OF Agrl-
culture. we ara TO have 347. 100000
bushels OF wheat less than IN 1915.
with gain, rs partial offset, OF oniv
l3O,00000o bushels OF corn: and corn
cannot take the place OF wheat IN
this world emergency, EXCEPT TO
limited extent Moreover, there Is a
decrease OF e6.000,000 bushels OF oats
and OF 100000 bushels OF barley.
The net shortage Of these FIVE
grains, as compared with the yield |
Of 1915. as now indicated, Is s27 1926 |
600 bushels.
Had the government report called !
attention 10 this startling fact Il
would have aroused the country 10
the supreme necessity OF greater con.
BervGtion OF foodstuffs and feedstuffs
and to the necessity OF preparing for
still larger production Of everything
next year
In 1915 there were so, 4ss 600 acres
IN wheat This dropped in 1916 10
527sh000 acres. and the wheat acre
axe for the present year, notwith-
standing q material increase in spring
wheat, is only 1862 900 acres, due to
the fact that Millions OF acres solved
in wheat last fall had to be ploughed
up this spring because OF winter de-
struction
Notwithstanding the boasted in
crease I'm corn acreage OF IA per cent
this year, due. In part. TO the fact
that some Of the ploughed up wheat
land was put into corn. the total acre
age in wheat and corn is 1877, 700 900
acres, as compared with sc. $4,000
acres in 1915. gain of Just 1,1000 900
acres, too small TO be even consid-
cred in the light Of the world neces-
stiles.
Unfortunately. the condition OF the
wheat on July / was 81 points lower
than the ten year average, and spring
wheat was, on July I "a points lower
than on July /, 1916, tho year in
which we had a disastrous failure OF
spring wheat by reason of weather
conditions after July. Moreover,
spring wheat on July / was points
! lower in condition than on June I OF
this year. In other words, between
! June and July / spring wheat de-
clined exactly 8 points, whereas the
]
than last year. Il therefore depends
entirely uDon the weather for the
next two months as to whether the
deterioration IN spring wheat which
went on during all Of June Will be
reversed and an Improvement take
/ place sufficient to give us the yield
predicted by the Department Of Agri.
culture.
The indication on July 1 pointed 10
a considerable increase in the pro-
duction OF potatoes over 1916. The
yield predicted for this year is 452-
100000 bushels. compared with 1885,.
600, 900 last year. But II should be
remembered that last5year gave one
OF the most disastrous yields OF pota-
toes ever known As far hack as 1912
we had potato crop OF 420 .O00, 000
bushels, and yet We are boasting that
five years later. when there is a fam
inc OF potatoes and OF every food
stun, we may possibly raise. ~ the
weather continues good 452 900, 600
hushels-a wholly false and erroneous
foundation on which TO build SUI
perstructure OF faith.
In studying these figures II "a
worth while taking the yields OF some
other years into consideration. As far
back as 1906. eleven years ago. when
our population was about 10000 O0C
less than II Is now, we produced OF
wheat and corn. 1862, 600. 900 bushels
AGAINST an estimated yield this gear
OF 3,S02.000, 600 bushels.
II this years yield OF corn and
wheat had increased in proportion 10
population, as compared with the
yield OF 1905, we would have raised
4,395,000,000 bushels OF these two
cereals. OF b95.000O0 bushels more
than the estimated production.
On the basis OF the increase Of
population since 1906. compared with
the corn yield of that year. this years
corn yield should have been 3.512.O OO..
600 bushels, or about 38S 900 .00C
bushels more than the indicated crop
OF the year
On the same basis OF comparison
our wheat crop this year should have
been $50 900 900 bushels, or more thar
100000 900 bushels in excess of this
years prospective yield.
It may be interesting, IN order e
give some illustrations of how fal
short our wheat crop has fallen o.
our necessities. 10 notJs production
OF a number OF preceding years ~
compared with this year
This years wheat crop. OF pros