Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-17
RECORD BREAKING WHEAT CROP FORE:
 CASTED FOR 1919
The Department of Agriculture Fore. casts S5Gi,0O0. .OOO BuShcl Wheat Crop.

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 casts S5G3,OO0.OOO DuShci Wheat = Crop.
 Washington. Dec 16.--A huge Win ter wheat crop. larger by c&hty mil lion Bushels than any yield in the history of American agriculture was forescasted today by the Department of Agriculture.
 The department appeal made be- fore the coming of peace was in sight, saying an acreage of 47,500.00O was desreable and the guaranteed price of $220 bushel for wheat stimulated. eXtraordiary effort on the part of farmers said the departments announcement. As a result, 49,027 ,00J acres were planted during long and almost perfect season.
 The fall growing season has been one of the fines: ever known, re- sutling in the crop being in the hest condition ever recorded on December 1st, and giving promise Of heavy yields.
 Allowing for the average spring abandonment of acreage due to win ter killing, the department announc- ed that winter wheat gives promise of a total production of 765,O00.0OO bushels. An average spring wheat crop would place next years produc- tion of wheat beyond a billion bush els and exceed the record crop Of 1915. Last years spring wheat pro- duction was 363 3,000000 bushels.
 Washington, Dec. 16.--The largest winter wheat crop ever grown in the history of the United States is prom ised by the enormous acreage sown this fall. The acreage is almost l6 percent larger than last years and totals ADOPT ,OOO acres.
 Winter wheat was sown this fall on 49,027,00O acres or 1s.9 percent more than the revised estimated area shown in the fall of 1917 which was 42,3Ol ,000 acres the department of az riculture today announced ..
 The condition of the crop on De- cember 1, was 9S.5 percent of a nor- mai compared with 79.3 year ago. S5.7 in 1916 and a 10 year average of S8.2.
 Winter acreage 49,O27 ,OOO condition 9S.5. A crop of 765, 100000 bushels, or S0,O0O,000 more than the best record, is forecast by the department of agriculture as next years winter wheat yield. allowing for winter kill ing and spring abandonment. Last years crop was 555 ,725, ,O0O bushels.
 ''The new winter wheat crop prom ised far transcends the performance of any past year in the history of the United States.
 "The united States department of agriculture and state agricultural leaders asked that the acreage be in 3O1, ,00O.
 The big acreage of 42,301 ,OOO planted last fall to at least 45,000, ,00O acres and suggested as desirable 47,- 50O,000 acres, which i. was thought could be attained if conditions were favorable. A long and alm3ss perfect fall planting season, coupled with an extraordinary effort on the part of the farmers, resulted in the seeding of total of 49,027, ,O00 acres.
 "The same favorable season that permitted the amazing increase in acreage has also given to the growing plant the finest condition on record 98.8 percent with eight important wheat states at 100 percent, or over, and only one state, and that of small importance in winter wheat below 90 percent"
 The area sown to rye is 6,82O,OOO which is IT percent more than the re- vised estimated area sown in the fall of 1917 which was 6,708,0O0 acres.
 States having sOwn more than a million acres of winter wheat, the per- centage of increase and the condition of the crop on December 1st, include:
 Texas 2,109,00O acres; 30 per cent condition 100.
 Oklahoma, 3,59O,0CO acres; 10 per- cent; condition 100.
 Springfield, H., Dec. 16.-An in- crease of 13,456,623 bushels of winter wheat for 1919 over the crop of the present year, based on the 1917 yield per acre is indicated in the Decem- Der crop report of the Illinois depart ment of agriculture, maae public to- day. The condition of winter wheay on December was given as 105 per cent of normal.