Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-08-24
UNITED STATES
WHEAT FOR 1878
War Program of U. S. Department
of Agriculture Includes Over a Bill
lion Bushels of Wheat and Eighty
Three Million Bushels of Rye Raised
in The United States in 1918.

The production of over one billion
bushels of wheat and over eighty
three million bushels of rye, through
the planting of 47,337 900 acres to
wheat and of 5,131,00 acres to
this fall is the immediate war agri-
cultural program for the Nation an
nounced recently by David F. Houston
Secretary of Agriculture. This record
winter wheat acreage, an increase of
Is per cent. over last year, would
yield 672,000,000 bushels if the aver
age yield for the past ten years is
equaled, or under a repetition of the
favorable conditions of 1914 would
give 880,000,0O0 bushels. In either
case with a spring wheat crop next
year equal to that of 1915, the Nation
will have more than one billion bush
els of wheat for domestic use and ex-
port.
This vastly increased production of
wheat, needed in any case, will be
absolutely essential to prevent seri
Gus shortage of breadstuffs next sum-
mer SHOULD the growing corn, now be-
hind the season, be much damaged by
early frosts.
The program approved by the Secre-
tary of Agriculture represents the best
thought of the U S. Department of
Agriculture and of State agricultural
officials and State councils of de-
fense.
The estimates, the Department
states are made with the knowledge
that there is some shortage of the fer
tilizer supply but with the under
standing that there will be no general
shortage in the supply of seed or of
farm machinery which is necessary
in the production of the wheat crop.
1t is understood also that ample trans
portation facilities will be provided
and a fair price of wheat will be es-
tablished. These factors have been as
sumed as fixed and satisfactory. If
any one or more fail to be adjusted in
good time, no person can tell how seri-
Gus will be the effect on the total crop.
The State officials will do their ut
most to get the acreages expected of
their States into the ground. The pro-
gram as originally worked out by the
Federal Department of Agriculture
called for somewhat more than 44,0O0,-
600 acres to be sown this fall. When
this proposal was presented to the of
ficials of the several States further
increase was considered possible and
desirable by them. AS consequence
the recommendation for the sowing of
Al, ,337 900 acres is made.
Since the acreages sown last fall
are fresh in the memory of farmers,
the sowings suggested for tsis, year
are compared with those of 1916. Fol-
Kansas, where more than one-fifth OF
the winter wheat of the country was
sown in 1916 and a campaign for ar
increase already is under way an in
crease of more than million acres, OF
one seventh of the total increase, is
recommended. Ohio is asked for one
and one tenth million acres over last
years sowings. This is considered
possible and desirable by the agricul
tural leaders of the State. Because
of available land in the State, Okla
homa is asked to increase the acreage
one fourth, amounting to more thai
100000 acres. Indiana and Illinoi
are each asked to increase their acre
age by somewhat more than a hal
million acres, thereby equaling wha
they have sown in the recent past
Oregon, because of the abnormally lov
acreage sown last fall is asked to in
crease the acreage this fall by one
quarter million acres, or SO per cent
These six states. Kansas, Ohio, Okla
homa Indiana, Illinois, and Oregon i
which nearly one half of the winte
wheat was sown last fall, are asked t
furnish considerably more than on
CONTINUED on page eight