The record. (Greenville, Ky.) 1899-1???, 1918-03-21
ALL. AROUND
THE FARM
INCREASE FC ID CROPS,
War Demands and Food Shortas

War Demands and Food Shortaae
Should Be Met by American Farmers
D. +. Houston, secretary of agricul
ture, in recent statement said in part
1t is obvious that the greatest and
most important service that is required
of our agriculture under existing con
Gitions is an enlarged production OF
the staple food CROPS Because of the
shortage of such crops practically
throughout thc world there is 70 risk
in the rclr future Of excessive prCduc
ton such rs sometimes has resulted III
nrcmuneratiyc prices to producers.
This is particularly true Of the
cereals and OF peas, beans, cowDeas.
soy beans and buckwheat In view OF
the world scarcity of food there is
hardly possibility that the production
OF these crops b. the farmers OF the
United States can he too great this
year. and there is abundant reason to
expect generous price returns for all
available surplus.
The most effective step that may be
taken to increase the production Of
these crops is to enlarge the acreage
devoted to them in the regions where
they arc grown habltuaHy. This ex
pauSiOn OF acreage should be to the
limit permitted by available good seed
labor and equipment.
Good Seed Wheat Necessary.
The minimum quality of seed graz,
that should lie relied upon under exist.
ing conditions is very difficult point
to decide. In general it is not wise TO
risk painting seed wheat showing less
than 10 or 80 per cent gcrmination nOr
that weighing less than fifty pounds to
the buSbel. If the land is prepared
thoroughly ana otherwise is suitable
the use OF spring wheat weighing as
low as forty-tiye pounds per bushel.
if it shows good termination. may be
advisable where better seed is lacking
The Usefulness of Oats and Barley.
IF land intended for spring wheat
cannut be put into good condition ear
~ enough for seeding, jctS Of barley
can be substituted to good advantage
in the sections where These crops are
known to do well. Barley can be re
lied on III the proved areas Of Wis,
consin, Minnesota, Iowa. the Dakotas
and Montana, while oats have u much
wider range. Tie ease with which
barley may be substitute: Directly for
wheat in human food ana its useful
Iess to replace wheat milling byprod-
Ccts as food i'll the prediction OF the
milk supply renders its abundant pro
duction important. Barity where il
succeeds yields a larger weight CT feed
per acre than any other small grain
crop. With an abundance of oats and
barley available mitch closer Inilling
Of wheat than at present could be
practiceG, il necessary, without endan-
geriEg the milk supply, which consul
tutes so important an element il the
dietary of consumers.
Suckwheat For Late Planting.
Buckwheat may be planted later than
9Ey similar crop and often does wei
On cid meadows or waste land that
can be broken after the more eZactifg
crops are planted. In some sections
that the cereals, except rye. cannot
be relied on, buckwheat is a crop Of
considerable Importance. The acrco &c
could well be increased, especially in
| portions of New York, Pennsylvania
and New England, where the crop now
| Is grown to considerable extent.
Expand tie Corn Acreage.
Corn is the leading feed and fee{
crop Of the United States in geograph.
| ic range OF production, acreage and
Quantity Of product. The vital impor-
lance Of large acreage of this crop
properly cared for. therefore, is obvi-
| Gus. Because Of the prices obtained
! Cor the last crop and the world demand
for this grain its profitableness to the
| American farmer during the approach
| Ing season is clear. Conditions now
warrant the planting of the largest
acreage Of this crop which it is posi-
| Die to handle effectively.
Although fall is the proper time for
breaking sod for corn, there are many
unproductive and foul meadows and
Indifferent pastures In Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio and the middle Atlantic an7
northeastern states that under eXistin Z;
conditions can be broken row to az
vantage and planted to corn. The re-
sulting reduction of hay and pasture
would be more than replaced by the
corn stoyer, ensilage and grain PR
| duced.
Potatoes and Vegetables.
Seed potatoes should be conserved
by planting on the best lands available
for them and planning for thorough
tiliage and protection OF the crop
against disease and insect pests. Pota-
toes can be grown most advantageous
ly near the centers OF population III
the northern states, where Transporter
ton cost may be reduced to mini
mum. This crop is capable of quick
and large increase of production when
conditions are favorable.
The duty Of the inGiEiI1c, Garner st
J this time is TO increase his production,
particularly OF food crops. If be has
control of tiilable land not in use or