The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-21
HOUSTON PRAISES FARMERS

, application and organization, they can I overcome the difficulties this year Un- duesticnably there will be difficulties to Surmount-difficulties in respect to labor | and in respect to fertilizers, both as to price and quantity. Prices of farm ma chinery also, with other things. have risen. In some respects the farm labor l situation may not be quite so difficult as last year. although it will continue to be especially acute in certain sections of the country. The cantonments have been built and there will not be a renewal l of urgent demands in many sections for l labor for such work. The draft regu- 1 lations provide for the deferred classi- fication of skilled farm labor. The popu- | laticn of the country has increased some what within the past year. The Sec retary of War has asked Congress for power to furough soldiers of the na- l tional army for agricultural service is | necessary.
 | Bearing these things in mind, it seems highly likely that the farmers, by exercising their talent for cooperation
 and organization, with such assistance as can be burnished by governmental and other agencies. will again be able
 to overcome the difficulties. The depart ments of agriculture and labor are con Itinuing to develop their organizations to assist farmers in securing the labor need- ed in their operations. They are especial | ly planning to assist in the transfer of labor from community to community and from state to state
 LEADING FOOD CROPS
 l The farmers of the nation planted dur ! ing 1917 an acreage of 246 275. .000 of the I leading food crops (winter wheat, spring
 wheat, corn, oats. barley, rye, buck
 wheat, rice. Irish potatoes, and sweet 1 potatoes), which was 23,0SS, 900 acres. 1C
 per cent) greater than the acreage in 1916 and 32, $500 Q5 per cent greater than the average for the five years preceding the outbreak of the European war.
 The farmers not only planted these
 acreages, but they harvested record crops
 of corn, barley, buckwheat and Irish and
 sweet potatoes. The total production ot these products and of spring wheat and rice was 5,771 1,92s,o00 bushels or 1,024 659, 600 (26 per cent), more than in 1916. and | 1, 1,OJ2 AZ, 900 (21 per cent) more than the 1 average for the fve-year period Q910-19l4J Winter wheat and rye are omitted from this comparison because the 1917 harv- ests of these crops were from sowings made in the fall of 1916, before the United States entered the war. It should Dc borne in mind in this connection that l the percentage of soft corn this year was very much higher than usual, and also Ithat the aggregate crop of spring and winter wheat harvested in 1917 was short ] LIVE STOCK ON FARMS
 | During the first half of 1917 there was tparticular apprehension lest the number l of live stock should be decreased As a matter of fact. owing to the greater abundance of feedstuffs that the large crops of the year made available and
 the prevailing prices, there was revealed ! a most gratifying increase in the prin- l cipal classes of live stock-an increase | in the number of horses during the year of S5s,O00 or 1.7 per cent; of mules. 101,- | 900, or 2.1 per cent; of milch cows, 3S0., l NN ar IT per cent; of other cattle, l. l S57, ,OOO or 45 per cent: of sheep. 1.284
 900, or 2.7 per cent, and of swine, 3S71 900, or 5.7 per cent. The increase of 4.5 per cent in the number of ''other cattle is l due to an increase of Az per cent in l calves: 22.7 per cent in heifers for milk i8.5 per cent in other heifers; a decrease of S.2 per cent in steers and an increase I of 1.9 per cent in other cattle" (milcb 1 cows not includedl. Swine over six months old increased B of per cent: un- I der six months. i1.1 per cent.
 l It will be of interest to note that the number of live stock estimated on Jan uary 1, 1918. shows the following in Icreases over January l, 1914. the year be- fore the beginning of the European war: Horses, 60l,0o0. or 2.9 per cent: mules 1000. or 8 of 1 per cent; milch cows I2.647,000 or 123 per cent: other cattle z69l, ,000. or 21.5 per cent: swine. 12. Al .000 cr 2 l ner cent. It is especially note lworthy that within the last year, for thu