Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-29
FARM PLAN DRAFTED
TO PREVENT FAMINE
Secretary Houston Prepares it to
Head Of Rationing Sys-
tenn Also.
WASHINGTON, JAN. %.

WASHINGTON, JAN "
The power of the government is about
q, he placed behind the farm production
plan for 1918, which Secretary of Agri-
culture Houston has drawn up after con-
ferencsx with experts. This plan has
been drawn UP with the main idea OF
preventing famine abroad and rationing
at home during next winter.
Ii is known that the producing powers
OF the Allies through loss of man power
and the gradual disappearance of fer
tilizer again viii suffer a great reduc-
ton during the coming season and
tina, America must make up the differ
once II the war is TO be won. Govern
pent officials are pinning their hopes
IN the ability and courage of American
farmers.
In substance MIR. Houston will urge
that all tanners devote their energy 10
producing common foods and that all
meat production, with the exception OF
pork. be curtailed-
For several months government Of
fcials have been concerned lest the
reduction of the trained farm labor
supply by 100000 men would react
a. startling decrease IN produc-
rion. The food administration has
Tolnted repeatedly to the danger. Re
Gently q delegation of farmers called
upon the President and sought hls CO.
operation IN planning to meet their
labor and mechanical needs. As re-
suit the Department OF Labor Is work
ing upon a plan 10 provide labor Tor
the farms.
Agricultural experts working with
Secretary Houston In devislng the new
plan have placed emphasis on the fact
that Amer leans have run true TO form
IN seeking luxlIries in food as well rs
IN other bodily comforts. They sub
uitted facts which showed that IN re-
cent years such plebisn foods AS wheat
and pork hsve been frowned upon by
8 large proportion OF the populace. LII
is pointed out that the farmers must
forget the previous inclinauons OF the
public and devote their land and their
time 10 raising staple foods Arguments
IN favor OF a greater use OF farm ma
ehinery in producing larger crops are
OF little value, since farm machinery
this wear VIII cost twice what IL did
III 1915.
NATION or MEAT EATERS.
Americans have driven wheat from
the markets as a staple American food
through their desire for meat, for which
they have been willing TO pay several
times what il Is worth when considered
from a standpoint OF direct necessity.
IL has been more economical for the
farmer to produce meat without com
petltlon than IL Was TO raise wheat IN
competition with the producers who en-
Iov low labor wages IN Russia, Australia,
Argentina and Canada.
The experts hold that the United
States has no larger acreage OF wheat
today than IL had eighteen years ago
The farmers have been planting their
fields 70 pasturace and corn and other
fodder that they might raise more animals
IL is argued thst more land previously
planted 10 corn must this year be put IN
wheat. While 50 per cent OF the fooG
now used by Americans comes from
corn ii is ssid that much OF this corn is
wasted in being used TO iced becves,
which produce only a comparatively
smsll return Of mest for the corn used.
For this reason II Is the belief OF many
al the government experts that farmers OF
the corn belt must be persuaded 70 put
more Of their land 10 wheat. They say
that the wheat shortage OF today Is rep
resented by the production OF less than
per cent OF the improved farm lands Of the
country, which i the amount OF wheat
acreage abandoned between 1915 and 1916
Many students OF the situation hold
that the acreage OF farms cannot be in
creased because Of the labor shortage,
that a readIustment must come OF the
use of the land under cultivation and that
this readiustment must be made IN the
rorn heIt