Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-01
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
V.-RaiSing Bigger Crops.
By Frederi j. Haskin.

che durum produced bushels to the acre
They less liable to injury in drought ana re-
sisted wheat rusts we'll Once all these quahtes were
made clear to the farmer, began to see the light
planted durum wheats in spite Of the millers oo
Jections After time the millers forced to give
in and withdrew from the position that durum wheats
only suitable for macaroni They began TO Use
durum ours their fancy blends and today in spite
of the fact that these wheats are undenaoy dill
tcult to grind, they worth more money tnan any
Of the old varieties being raised a. the
rate of 100000 bushels
Much land where the wheat. winner
killed replanted in corn is crop that
be used either for human or animal food and an
increased Of cornmeal in the diet OF the nation
Of the probabilities the next As one ex-
pert puts it., will be planted any of the wheat
land that is safe for contrasting The area OF sore
fSr has been considerably increased by work OF the
department The latest achievement in this line 10 the
development Of fros-proof corn" which promises TO
extend it still further in the near future.
Durum wheat is only of a long list OF foreIsh
plants that have been introduced successfully. Inc
navel orange probably the bestknown name on the
list. The original navel orange tree OF the Oni'eu
States still alive and growing in one OF the saroens
of the department its family is yielding an annual
value Of S16o00O00 worth OF fruit year AhalAo'
wheat is worth $soo0o00o year to the nation jap
anese being raised the Of $sbooooo worth
yearly, and it a recent importation. The Egyptian
cottons a promiIing imported stock The total
annual foreign plants which been intro
duced into the Unied States s265ooOooo annually
less important than the increase of production is
the fight against the plant diseases which contin
ually threatening to eat the increase Different
plant responsible losses amount
ing to s325,o00000 But steady progress is be-
ing made against the wheat rusts and the potato bghts
and the rest of them For immediate relief the experts
work out seed dips, such now being advocated
for seed potatoes, crop where the loss
ed to S11200O00O through disease broader scale,
the plan is to produce varieties Of fruits and grains
and vegetables which, are immune from disease
plant diseases imported. The citrus
canker from Japan and the white pine blister rust
threatening our white pine forests from
Europe. Moreover, in Europe and Asia they still boast
a variety Of plant diseases which far have not
peared America. Hence the extensive plant Quaran
tine legislation enforced by the department of agr
culture warded off many foreign pests such
the pink cotton boil weevil which would threaten
agriculture.
The fight against disease has a deep economic i'm
porance in addition the actual loss 1t prevents.
This economic Importance is which touches the ul
innate because It is closely connected with
the question Of prices AS the chief the Of
plant industry points out, cannot have a produc
tion calculated to supply all demands long
have the hazards disease with The farmer
know how many acres to plant in q certain
crop long is liable TO his yield in half
by plant diseases Hence have over-production IN
lines and interpretation IN Others and hence
again we have exceedingly uncertain prices