The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-22
HUGE WHEAT CROP
BEING ENCOURAGED
Department of Agriculture Asks Ameri-
can Farmers to Increase Their Acre
age at Least Per Cent, Over
Last Years Sowing.

a6N az 6Cdob u \ CA NShhf NNEi
Last Years Sowing.
A national plan for great liberty
wheat harvest in 1919 was announced to-
day by the U. S. department of agricul
ture. American farmers are asked to
SOW to winter wheat this fall not less
than 45000,000 acres-an increase of sew
en- per cent over last years showing ~
and the department suggests that an
even greater area, approximately 47,500,-
600 acres-an increase of more than -
per cent over last year--could be sown if
conditions are especially favorable in all
the states and would better meet the
needs of the allied nations at war.
From the smaller acreage harvest of
636,000,000 bushels might be expected, it
is estimated, and from the larger acre.
age 667 100000, based upon an average
yield of 1871 bushels an acre and an
abandonment of 10 per cent of the area
sown on account of winter kill The plan
fixes definite acreages by states, and in
a campaign to be launched Immediately
by the department and the state agri-
cultural colleges and leading farmers
throughout the country, growers will be
asked to make good their state quotas.
The recommendations regarding the
planting of spring wheat and other spring
crops and regarding live stock will fol-
low later.
The total acreages assigned to the sew
eral states, both minimum and maxi
mum, are shown, with the percentage of
increase over the acreage sown last year
indicated for each state. In some states
where large increase of winter wheat
acreage is suggested, it is planned cor
respondingly to reduce the spring wheat
acreage. Winter wheat is a safer crop
and produces larger yield per acre, so
the exchange is desirable in sections
where this is practicable. The unusual
weather conditions of the last two years
are responsible for the increased acreage
of spring wheat this year in some sec
tions where winter wheat usually is
more extensively grown.
In announcing its wheat production
program, the department considers the
growing needs of this country and its al
lies for this essential food. The last crop
report forecast 1918 harvest of s90,.
100000 bushels of winter and spring
wheat.
Although this forecast is gratifying, it
is pointed out that the reserve supply
of 1arry-over of wheat this year is prac-
tically exhausted and is the smallest on
record The need of building up reserves
Of wheat is evident. 1t is pointed out
that although this country produced
small wheat crop in 1917, the total ex.
ports of wheat in excess of imports, in
Guiding -four in terms of wheat, amount
ed to approximately l00,000,000 bushels
for the year ending June 80, 1918. This
is in comparison with l7s,000000 bushels
exported in 1917, 236,000,000 bushels in
1916 and 1871 100000 bushels in 1915. 1t
was only possible for the United States
to export wheat in large quantities in
1915 and 1915 because of the large wheat
crops of l9l2-l3-l4-l5, which gave this
country an accumulation of stocks of this
grain. The 1915 and 1917 crops both
were smaller than any crops since 1911
and besides this, there was a greater
demand for seed wheat and an increas-
ing population.
Moreover, it must be borne in mind,
says the department, that the carry-over
in all the 10 importing countries of Eu-
rope was practically exhausted this year
before the new harvest that the normal
consumption requirements of the export
ing countries are increasing with the
growth of population instead of dimin-
ishing, that some losses in storage and
transit may be expected to continue, and
that it is highly desirable that surplus
should be accumulated as insurance
against partial crop failure next year
To provide for these additional require
ments, it is therefore extremely desir-
able that the maximum acreage of win
ter wheat recommended be planted by
the farmers in the United States this
fall.