Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-29
FARM PLAN Drafted
TO Prevent FAMINE
Secretary Houston Prepares
II to Head Off Rationing
System Also
MUST PLANT MORE
WHEAT THIS YEAR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2o--Tho power
Of the Government IS about 70 be
placed behind tho farm production plan
for 1918, which Secretary OF Agrloul-
ture Houston has drawn mp after con
ference with experts. This plan. as
vital TO the war program as the food
conservation measures, was announced
today by Secretary Houston. 10 has
been drawn up with the main Idea
Of preventing famine ahro0d and ration
ing at home during next winter.
Ii Is known that the producing pow
ers Of tho Allies through loss OF man
power and the gradual disappearance
Of fertilizer again Will suffer a great
reduction during the coming season and
that America must make up the differ
once If the war Is 10 be won. Govern
nent officials are plnnlng their hopes to
the ability and courage or American
farmers.
In substance Mr.. Houston urges that
all farmers devote them energy to pro-
duoing common foods and that all meat
production, with tho exception Of pork.
be curtailed.
For several months Government ON
duction Of the trained farm labor sup
ply by 100000 men would react In
startling decrease In production. The
Food Administration has pointed re-
peatedly to the danger. Recently q dele
cation Of farmers called upon tho Presi-
dent and sought his cooperation IN
planning 10 meet their labor and me
chanical needs. AS q result the De-
pertinent OF Labor. is working upon
plan TO provide labor for the farms.
Agricultural experts working with
Secretary Houston IN devising the new
plan have placed emphasis on the fact
that Americans have run true 10 form
n seeking luxuries IN food as well as IN
other bodily comforts. They submitted
facts which showed that In recent
years such plebian foods as wheat and
pork have been frowned upon by
large proportion Of the populace. Il
s pointed out that the farmers must
forget the previous inclinations Of the
public and devote their land and their |
time 10 raising staple foods Arguments
In favor Of a greater use Of farm ma
chinery in producing larger crops are /
OF little value. since farm machinery |
this year viii cost twice what IL did /
in 1915.
Americans have driven wheat from
The markets as a staple American food /
through their desire for meat. for
which they have been willing 10 pay
several times what II Is worth when /
considered from a standpoint Of direct I
necessity. II has been more economical /
for the farmer to produce meat without |
competition than u was 10 raise wheat |
in competition with the producers who
enjoy low labor wages 10 Russia, Aus
tralia, Argentina and Canada
The experts hold that the United
States has no larger acreage OF wheat
today than II had eighteen years ago
The farmers have been planting their
fields TO pasturage and corn and other
fodder that they might raise more ami
nals.
II is argued that more land previously
planted 10 corn must this year be put
In wheat While 30 per cent. OF the
food now used by Americans comes
from corn u Is said that much OF this |
corn is wasted IN being used to feed /.
beeves, which produce only a compare /
lively smaK return Of meat for the [
corn used.
For this reason II is the belief Of /
many Of the Government experts that /
farmers Of the corn belt must be per-
susded to put more Of their land TO
wheat. They say that the wheat short
age Of today Is represented by The pro-
duction Of less than per cent. OF the
improved farm lands OF the country.
which Is the amount OF wheat acreage
abandoned between 1915 and 1916
Many students Of the Situation hold
that the acreage Of farms cannot be
increased because Of the labor short
age, that a readlustment must come OF
the use Of the land under cultivation
and that this readiustment must be
made IN the corn belt.