Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-14
Weekly Bureau of In.
formation for All Who
!, Till the Soil or Arc Inter
csted in Making Homes
IT IS THROUGH PLANNING;
PROSPERITY MAY COME ON

Firesidc, is good reading matter toi
the Virginia farmer 70 wrcsne with
while tho bad weather keeps him from
outdoor activities
- Steering farm business through
the active producing season in these
. turbulent times is not so ncrcnt
from n,ancuvcrine a ship through III"
danger zones OF the great deep. Bo;h
undertakings must have every aiG o;
knowledge. skill. and previous plan
.ne. 20 avoid cncountcring disaster.
In the case OF tho farm, while lives
MAY no; be al stake, old-t'me hit-or-
- miss practices in place of well-planncd
oSoctive methods may easily change
generous prospective profits into an
equally heavy balance on the wrong
, side OF the account.
In tho seasons farming just ahead
thcrc is need of more than systematic
pianainE OF our regular schedule OF
farm operations. There should he the
fullest possible knowledge OF world
wide food conditions and facts about
the labor problem, for on these. as
well Is our individual farm resources.
depends Americas agricultural pros
rcCity In 1918.
TIC duration OF the war is regarded
BY MANI d disturbing factor i'll plan
4. ming ahead. but this much is cer;a IN:
even should the war end III 1915. there
WOULD be slight occasion TO dcpar.
-fccN plans made now on the ba sis
OF war until 1929. the commonly eN-
pcctcd time OF world peace.
Tho wheat situation in the United
states is apparent TO all. Congress
has guaranteed 81 per bushcl for the
1915 :crcn. and this price will hoiu
whether peace comes or not. BY act
or ConSress, the United States gov
eminent will pay this price at spec!-
rcd terminal markets for the 1918
wheat harvest until May /. 1912, and
already the acreage Of winter wheat
is d fourth above that of last year.
Should peace come before the crop IS
: marketed the government stands to
lose about $500. 100000. resulting from
The bearish influence Of the vast stores
Of H.hes; in Australia. India, and other
countries on the world mar
sets. This foreign wheat cannot be
moved now in any large quantity be-
cause o: lack OF ships and the subma-
-rinc menace. The routes from Nortl,
America 10 European ports are At
sprescut the safest as we'll as the short
est.
T. So. in addition to patriotic reasons.
large wheat crop on every American
farm that can Srow il represents safe
planning because of the guaranteed
roturns-
The live stock situation is rracti-
cally parallel TO il, though no, 40
clearly defined officially. While the
government has not definitely suaran-
teed prices for live stock, plenty Of
Authentic facts have been laid before
.tmc rican farmers fairly and frankly.
For the next fcp years, as never be-
fore, VIC must know what is occurring
not only in Europe but in our nations
capital.
IT is perfectly plain TO me that 1915
y h1 - ,
=. breeder visiting in Washington re-
Gently. and who raises close to 1000
hogs year. But il takes courage
Tor the man who does not see what
rs ahead to grow more pork when b..
IL feeding such expensive feed"
This is briefly what is ahead. Eu-
ropes hos supply has diminished by
war. Fork is urgently needed 10 sup
ply the demand for fats. OF which all
European nations arc short, and So
100000 represents about half the num-
Der OF hogs in tho United States. 50
even should the War end tomorrow
probably decade will be required.
FULLY to satisfy the demand for pork
By nearly 100000. 900 mcat-and. tat
hungry people who have few hogs Of
,hcir o~n. and whose meat die, has
occn restricted for several years pa -.
tnd each added month OF war means
that nearly 100000 more hogs arc
s!auShtcrcd. Immediate requirements
outweigh III Importance the possible
future consequences.
Perhaps this situation on a CONT
hcnt four times as dcnsely populated
IS our own, will help American far
rncrS TO appreciate the true sicn!r-
carce OF tho Iprk shortage, which is
not JUS; inarlHt. curry.
IN more personal way. however.
Nc know that economical hog produc-
tion depends on moderate costs for
feed. especially corn. When 100 pound,
OF pork have sold for twelve or more
tinc@ as much as bushel or corn
Inc hog Industry OF the country has
nrosrcrcd. Eut In periods when tho
ratio has been less than twelve TO one.
nc amount OF swine in the country
has diminished.
Consequently the Live stock niyi.
s'oH OF the |. S. Food Administration
"a announced that through its in.
Huence on prices Of pork products pur-
enaseo Tor the allies. the army ana
nc -. tho Red Cross and tho Belgian
,.oINi : rill cndeavor 30 stabilize
.'A' hoS market 50 tina; 100 pounds of
sEsr"Sc live weight Of hog will bring
~ !east thirteen times As much as a
n1Sho' OF corn. The ratio Of thirteen
20 ono means that when corn T.
worth - q bushol. hogs will bring al,
least tfG hundred
: ten TO ono ratio, some hayc con
toodod. would have been enough undo
present conditions. hut the govern
mcut. Which seldom adopts hallway
measure la been liberal
me beo' and mutton situation h.v.
rot ecen 80 ;gi!y worked out. pu, the
markets 1rc fundamentals sound
sheep In tn" western allied coun,ri..
have d'minishcd in numbers more ,han
cattle and hogs comh.ncd. aud those
70 buy mutton and lamb IN rctaii
shops here I'm America need no, lie
'"lo the home supplE is snort Rcnf
-nt- cource. lakes longer 10 produce ana
markets moro than . year distant are
not cos" 20 iudsc. Eut cxpcr,s wh3
view the situation in the hroadc-t nos
s'o!o light feel That not for q ouartc-
century after world peace. II c-cr. viii
0ncf prices return 10 tho ,cvcl pre-
rti!inS before tho war.
Production 81 forage CROPS and oth.-
animal feeds this year l. uIattc- Of
Judgment ha:cd largely on the Droba
pic amount Of stock that viii bc car
RED The wIsost course will he "a
soil suci1 crops in The form OF nca,
Nh alternative Is "a study the ,narLt..
a. closely a do the apccul.,o-.
whole asois, dealers. ana hrokcrs
Erltic!:n Us often made OF IA.
monthly crop rcpoi, Of the L. : D..
partHent OF Agriculture. !, l.. ,ru.
nat ~ first this report is rather ain.
cult 10 interpret Ia terms Of !oc;.I cor
dfHona. hu, with practice its suIay
becomes profitable.