The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-24
WHEAT AREA THIS
YEAR SHOWS BIG
SLUMP FROM 1919
9..i Expo rs DO S.,4 View
the SITUATION Will
Alarm.

inter wheat lot the l9ZU harvest from
he amount sown for the previous year
Is indicated in estimates OF the De-
partment 3of Agriculture, the shortage
amounting to 1A1 less than 11,71o,000
:. acres, which is 1890 square miles,
OF an area about the size OF New
Hampshire and Vermont. A reduc.
ion OF about the same percentage is
sxpectediin the rye acreage.
Startling as these figures may seem,
he fact remains that the loss no more
han releases the surplus acreage
stimulated by the war, and that the
liaryesters next summer will cut 3S,
10000 acres of winter wheat, COM
pared with 36,704000 acres in 1918;
27.257,000 in 1917, and 34,S29,o0 In
1916. The war crop" of 1919 covered
S0.4s0.000 acres.
What is true of the winter grain
crops will be true of the cerealcrops
planted or sown this spring, in the
opinion OF Secretary Meredith, of the
Department OF Agriculture who
while admitting that the shortage OF
labor and the high cost of farming
presents a serious problem, refuses
% believe that another year will ftld
the nation with not enough bread and
bacon to supply its needs.
The demand OF war torn world for
tood, combined with guaranteed
price for wheat, increased the food
crop area of the United States by 3d.
900, 600 acres last year, with the win
Ter grain fields reduced by 13,500,0 900
acres this year it will be possible for
other crops to be cut down 1S500,000
acres before the situation becomes
abnormal 1t is devoutly TO be hoped,
however, that no such reduction will
be made, for with millions of acres ly-
ing idle in Russia, Germany and 9TH
pr countries where internal strife Is
rampant, foreign trade is sure to take
considerable share of whatever this
country produces.
Reports from hundreds OF fielo
workers lead Secretary Meredith to
liscredit all rumor to the effect that
American farmers have combined to
hold down production.
In no case have the farmers taken
concerted action to restrict crop acre
age or to curtail the food supply oil
the nation" said the secretary. aside
rom the principle involved, he is too
good business man to do such
hing. Farming is his livelihood and
ne can prosper only in proportion to
ais industry. Idle land is idle CAPT.
tai, and that is something the farmer
cannot Afford
One circumstance that is making
the farmers conservative, however, in
planning their 1920 operations, is the
very general feeling that prices of all
lood products are duo for drop with
N the next twelve months. The far
mer. representing more than 40 per
cent of the consuming public, woula
be very glad to see an all-around de-
crease on the cost of living but he
'inds himself facing the possibility OF
raising a high priced crop to sell on
declining market.
When a farmer in the corn belt buys
pillow or a planter this spring ne
must pay a top-notch price for it. II
le hires a man to run either he pays
aim a price that in some cases is al
most prohibitive. His seed, his feed
and whatever else he may have to pur.
chase is quoted at wartime figure.
and to come out even on the years
operations he must sell his product for
more than peace-time figure next
All or winter.
Labor, or rather the lack OF It, Is
he specter that haunts the farmer in
mis- sleep these days, and 1t will have
no little influence on the nature of
srops raised in different sections OF
he country. the tendency being to
grow whatever requires the least at
ention, subject, of course. to china
:ic and soil limitations. Wheat re-
lures less labor than corn, corn can
oe sown easier than cotton, and to-
oacco requires more labor per acre
han almost any other crop.
Much of the labor that made posi-
pie a billion bushel wheat crop last
year and other crops in proportion is
lot going into the fields in 1920. Wo-
men, old and young, in many instances
accustom themse elves to field labor for
he first time. Men whose income did
lot require them, to do manual labor
ook a hand for patriotic reasons.
Fhis year the emotional appeal" is
argely lacking and the business of
.arming will be left more to the farm
ITS.
To counteract these influenced is
The steady increase of the yield OF
God crops due to numerous influences
fAA@<A4e StSSAOt<1Ay HSSNohIks
summed up in the following words:
notwithstanding the fact that we
lave placed under cultivation a great
Zeal of new land, that we have taken
ieserts and made farm Of them, there
aas been a gradual increase in the
acreage yield per acre equal to rs
20 cent, since 1880. Corn, for example,
has increased 10 per cent, oats "a per
sent. potatoes SO per cent and other
deld crops 16 per cent. Better meth
IDS. the introduction of improved ma
shinery, the development and plant
ng of larger producing varieties, the
Elimination OF plant diseases and in
sect pests, are some of the factors
giving this happy result. And yet
some ask whether the farmer is ly-
ng whether he is doing his
part p
One thing that should act as an In
,entive TO the land holders to get all
possible out OF It by. using every acre
5 the high price at which farms have
sold in almost every agricultural
community during the last year. One
tcre of good corn or wheat land to-
lay represents as much invested capt