Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-10

winter wheat will be SAC, 900
bushels. This estimate is based on the
December condition report. which was
the lowest ever recorded. There will be
no new report on condition until April.
The weather since December over a
large area of the winter wheat belt has
been highly favorable, giving encour-
agement to believe that the December
crop estimate may be exceeded. In
other sections the weather has been I'M
favorable The damage is too extensive
to justify any hope that the 1915 yield
will be equaled, but it is not within the
range of probability that there has
been any such damage as there was a
year ago, as a result of which more
| than 12.000000 acres of wheat had to be
abandoned entirely.
| 1t is reasonable probability that the
harvest from winter wheat will be up
to the December estimate of 540,000,000
| bushels, which would be 10000, 600
| bushels more than was harvested last
tyear.
This Years Planting.
! Last year 1s,511,000 acres were plant
ed to spring wheat The Department of
Agriculture's program for this year
! calls for a minimum planting of II ,000,-
| 600 acres. But there is little prospect
| that the departments spring wheat
program will be realized. Temptation to
plant barley in the spring wheat belt is
|
/ wheat and barley there is a wide mar
gin of profit to farmers in favor of the
| barley.
! This. however, is feature of the
government officials responsible for
| food refuse to worry. For every pound
| OF wheat flour which can be produced
on an acre of land pound and half
| a bread flour barley is only slightly. if
| any, inferior to wheat If barley is
grown extensively at the expense of
| spring wheat the situation will be met
content of the loaf
IL last years spring wheat planting
| Is equaled. and the crop equals last
| years 233,0o0,0eo bushels. it will give
wheat harvest, taking the present
estimate on winter wheat, of approxj.
rnateiy I13,000,000 bushels, as against a
harvest last year of about 65I 900 900
ousheis, The hold-over from 1915 was
sary holdover from the 1917 cron
around 2000000O bushels, so il need nat
be taken into consideration
Normal consumption of wheat in thi.
retain for seed is about son Oo6 ooO
bushels. so if the crop prospects out
ilned above are realized there will he
a normal exportable surplus from the
bushels.
Amount Necessary to Ship.
The amount which il nov !. AT,
mated it will be necessary to SHIN o.
seas is 135,O00.000 bushels. or 3S.O0O non
ieSs than the estimated normal export
abie balance. There are two factors
which may operate either to decrease
or increase the amount of wheat neces
ssary to be drawn from the United
states IN order to keep the allies GO
ing: One is the wheat crop in Franco
n
favorable. and the other is the amonnt
o! wheat 1t is possible to get from
friendly neutrals "u
the promise is held out that TONNAGE
WIN De provided to transport 100 O00
wv oosneis Of Argentine wheat. If
, inns promise is made good it will re-
ese lhe demand on the United States
anu may remove the necessity of wheat
conservation in this country after the
new crop comes in. There are large
stores OF wheat in Australia and India
out tney are SO far away and ship
ter largely into solution of the w.
,iHhe wheat problem. Some wheat is 70
De brought in sailing vessels from
australia to the Pacific coast of the
ern states. 1t will not be large
amount but whatever it is will help
Ihere is no expectation that last
years bumper corn crop Of AKA 200 Soo
eoysenm viii be equaled this year. The
Yta
crop is 2,750.oOo. 600 bushels. which 'ii is
1S11-1915. inc perioo
me best obtainable estimate of the
through outright spoilaxe and az
creased feeding value because of i'm
maturity. is 400.0OO,O0O bushels The
US JUST about equals the 1917 surplus
The ,sL me n'e-Eear average, but since
~ 49, crop was ia. sva.od Ia.
ss.ie consumption and overseas shin
narn oue 70 railroad and ocean ton
mage ~, s,. on al,f1euities. have been greatly
the 1917 crop will be much abn,,a ON ON
tornaI. For instance exports of cor,
from 11o July l to February wera -
oYo'Vu' ousheIs, against "a 600, 900 bush
year. e previous
Plenty of Corn for All.
1t appears. therefore that If an ava,
xss,sd OF corn is planted and har-
az domestic needs and to shin tn ~
aiiles all the corn for which tonnaas
poss1Diy can be provided. The allies
inc amn 70 use steadily increas-
!ns amount of corn as breadstur and
they would be glad to use IA 600 O00
bushels a month right now if the sbinS
'G The a BE- pr0s1ded to- to carry it
now available for market and bs,i ~
ing farms VIII! operate to increase tho
meat supply and to increase the supplv
ana lower prices of dairy products. Hogs
no" coming TO market are thirty pounds
heavier per hog than the average for
nlaFcn as result of being held back on
f fae I1rtns and fed on the corn which
ia This 5 were unable to get to market
rms increase in the weight of hogs 10
expected TO continue. both because Of the
mold back and the immense supply of
corn. ana because, through an arrange
men, me Win the food administration pack
ers now are paying a higher price for
heavy hoss than for light ones which
IS reversal of the usual practice The
Department of Agriculture aims at a TX
per cent increase in the number of hogs
If this is accomplished, there will be
about 100000 hogs available for
slaughter during the coming year If
Ter than the average for last year it
means an increase of 10000 900 pounds
in the pork kill
Exports of pork and pork products last