Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-04


based on the work accomplished by the
county agents and the reports received
from them as to the acreage of wheat
planted and the interest the farmers
had displayed in response to the gov
ernment's request for an enlarged area
of this essential crop.
The figures now available indicate
that the agents were correct in their
estimate as to the increased acrea ge
planted, for 1t appears that $4,000
more were devoted to the cultivation
of wheat in 1918 than in 1917 In ad-
dition, the farmer seemed to have taken
better care as to the planting and ham
dina of his crop than in previous years.
for the percentage of land devoted to
this crop abandoned in 1917 was 50,
whereas. it was II in 1918. The acre
age for harvest is now estimated at
3S1. 900, as compared with 244 900 for
the previous year The condition of
the crop now stands at 80 per cent, as
compared with "a per cent last year.
The production in bushels is estimated
to be about 100000. as compared with
2.074.0O in 1917. This is 1000 900 in
excess of the average for the past few
years, and shows that i'm the matter
Of wheat production our farmers went
lover the top as compared with 1917
by about 1875 per cent. Certain condi-
lions were very favorable this year for
apparently the yield per acre will be
around II to lis bushels, which is UNI
usually high for this state and .com-
pares very favorably with the average
for the United States, which is about
Il bushels per acre.
These figures indicate that wheat
can be much more extensively Guilt
waited in Georgia than has been thought
possible in the past. Also. that with
proper preparation and handling of the
soil, we can obtain larger average
yields per acre than we have been ac-
customed to secure. Moreover, it
should be borne in mind that this wheat
has not been produced under particular
ly favorable conditions, for virtually
no nitrate of soda was available this
spring to use as a top dressing Had
this fertilizer been used we should have
increased the yield per acre considerably
more, for it has been definitely demon
strated that this is one of the main ele-
ments in which our soils are deficient,
and one of the best to use for stimulat-
Ing and insuring a rapid growth and
development of the wheat plant in The
early summer.
Under the circumstances portrayed it
would appear that if Georgia is per
mitted to have eighteen pounds Of wheat
next harvest, we have produced enough
wheat to furnish the necessary flour to
$4,000 people, or about one fourth of
the population of the state. If we con-
tinue to use flour on the basis of six
pounds per capita per month as the
regulations now prescribe we would
have produced enough to feed 1876, 900
people, or more than half of all the peo-
pie in the state of Georgia This, it
appears to me, is very fine record for
cotton state to have made OF course
it is clear that in the cultivation of
wheat we are not producing as profit
able a crop as something else which
/ might be grown. On the other hand, we
should remember that the production of
the. amount of wheat indicated will
keep In the state this year the equiva-
lent of about $12,000,0OO. AS most of
this wheat was grown on land which
would otherwise have been unoccupied
and thereby have suffered from wash
ing and teaching during the winter, it is
easy to see what advantages the Guilt
walton of this crop has conferred on
the state. No doubt the wheat grow
ing on the land took up and held at
least $4,000 900 worth of plant food
Therefore the crop becomes an asset
worth $4,000, 900 even if we regard it
wholly from the commercial point of
view. AS patriotic investment the
production of the amount of wheat in
dictated is a service to the state and ma
ton which can not be estimated on the
basis of dollars and cents.
We could easily double the acreage
devoted to wheat in the fall of 1918,
thereby producing with a fairly favor
able season at least nine million BUSH
els in 1919 We should set our goal at
this figure, for no matter how the war
may progress, there Will be shortage
of this essential foodstuff another year.
and if seasons are unfavorable, IL may
be that we will have to depend alto
gether on our own resources Tor the
! production of such flour as we may ex-
pect to have for domestic purposes
There is some rlisumders tanding of the
present wheat regulations in the minds
of many people. They think they should
! have more than six pounds of flour per
capita per month. They overlook the
/ fact that wheat is one of the determin-
iny factors in the war. 1t Is now more
/ sorely needed across the water thah at
I any other period since the great strug-
! ole began. 1t is one thing which pro-
! vided in moderate amounts can sus-
! tain the civilian populations OF our
! allies and their fighting armies. Wheat
is therefore a military necessity and
/
| government and il is for this reason
! that restrictions as to its use have oeeri
placed on our people. 1t is therefore a
privilege to sacrifice in the use of flour
at this time in order that great guam
titles of il may be set free for SHIP
! ment abroad To this end Georgia,
/ which was unusually we'll supplied with
-four before the present regulations were
inaugurated, has been able through a
! embargo placed or the shipment of this
| article into the state 10 release up TO
the present about 100000 pounds of
/ -four for shipment overseas This is as
! important a contribution as any state
has made to the cause of the war
through the self-denial and willing sac
rifice of it's people, and it is an evidence
of faith and a desire for service on the
! mart Of Georgia OF which the state 1s
! Justly proud at this time, and VIII be-
! come more and more so as the years
elapse and the sacrifice of our people
becomes more generally appreciated ana
understood.
AS to the reasons for the embargo
| thew are not hard to understand. In the
south we use a large quantity of SOFT
wheat -four for the making Of biscuits
which are not used abroad. Hard wheat
| flour is much better adapted for the
| making of light bread than the soft
wheat -four which is the chief article