Milford chronicle., 1923-09-21

Delaware farmers who are Whea
growers are planning to cut down Of
wheat production, as indicated b.
their intention of sowing decreases
acreage this fall, which is shown IN
preliminary survey made OF rev
farms of each county, taken durlhi
State Fair week by the Delaware Un
iversity Extension Service. Applying
these estimates of intention to plan
To all the farms of the State, II Il
found that about so per cent VIII re
duce their acreage from last year DS
is per cent; about 20 per cent VIII IN IN
crease their acreage by 25 per CEN
and &c per cent will plant the same
acreage. On this basis the net decrease
in acreage from the 1928 crop wou!o
he from 10 to 16 per cent. rms Is IL
line with the policy of Delaware "nea'
growers. as shown by the wheat acre
aces which have dropped from 1zo'-
ma acres in 1919, to 10000 acres IN IN
1o2O 113.OOO acres in 1921, 1O9'UOU
acres in 1922 and 100000 in 1928: Ac-
cording to present intentions OIL Iarnl-
eres the acreage planted for next year
will be below 100000 acres; WHICH 10 10
tbe smallest acreage since the low
nrices of the nineties. The decrease III
wheat acreage of $4,000 acres from
1000 to 1928, the latter representlhg
the 1922 planting, has been IOllO"e Sa
bv an increase of the corn acreage u
10000 acres (192O-22).
The previous acreage OF Wneat III
Delaware, according to the census
has shown a progressive increase IrOln
$4,000 acres in 1880 to 10000 acres IN
1920. largely at the expense Oh tne
corn and oats acreage; which nave
shown a corresponding decrease IN
acreage during the same period. con.
trary to popular opinion, the ylelus OI
wheat per acre averaged over hVe year
neriods since 1870, shows a steady IN
crease from II bushels (1S71-75) TO IL
bushels DER acre, (1911-15) or in COM
narison with the average production
per acre for the U. S. the yleld mas
increased from 8 per cent below to I5
per cent above the average OF tne
country.
Delaware as a Wheat State
Delaware is one of three states east
of the Mississippi producing a WheaI
surplus above the needs OF its own
Donulation. Of the approximate 2,OOO'-
600 bushels wheat crop proouceu an
nually in Delaware, 10 per cent Is re-
ouired for seed, 81 per cent is snip
ned from the country to the PRIMARY
markets and the remainder, outslue oI
the small amount usually fed, is
ground in merchant mills OF the state
6Figures for 1911-15). Although the
corn acreage of Delaware is one-tnlru
greater than the wheat acreage II Is
significant to note that only 1O TO 10
ner cent of the corn crop is ordlnar-
ilv sold to be shipped out of the coun-
tv where grown. Corn is largely leu
to live stock.
Wheat is grown as a ready cash
crop, and, secondly for its bl-products
as straw and as a nurse crop for clo-
yer. The price of wheat becomes
therefore of primary Importance TO
large area of the state depending on
If as the big cash crop. The price OF
wheat greatly increases or curtalls
many farmers purchasing power
Wheat is 2S per cent Of the total crop
acreage of the State, and in New Gas.
tie County it makes up 40 per cent OIL
the crop acreage Census 1920. The
farm price of wheat is about the same
or slightly higher than before the war,
but it's purchasing power IN terms Oh
other commodities is only 79 per cent
of what it was in 1913.
Delaware has one distinct advantage
over the farm western surplus WneaL
states as the freight differential in
orr favir in shipping wheat to sea-
hoard varies from a few cents IN the
midwest, to as much as % cents a
bushel in the far west. This advantage
will be permanent and the amount
will depend almost entirely on trans
portation costs
International Wheat Situation
With improved storage and trans
portation facilities, wheat, once 10
cal commodity, has become a world
commodity subject to the law Of world
supply and demand. The expansion IN
the wheat area of the chief exporting
countries, coupled with decreased Duy-
ing power of Western Europe is re-
sponsible for the price situation Whlcn
now prevails. With the increased
bread grain production OF Europe Ihe
future prices to ours as an eHpOItln9
country look very discouraglng' un-
less we adjust our acreage. The prln-
cipal exporting countries Of the Unit
ed States, Australia, Canada and Ar
gentine. are growing 28 million more
acres of wheat than the prewar aver
age. With the old world countries
turning their attention first to increas-
ed grain production, including Russia
formerly the leading wheat exporter,
it is certain that American WinIeI
Wheat growers should take the first
Dositive step this fall to adjust the
winter wheat acreage in accordance
with this situation.
How Shall We ReduceG
The necessity of reduced wheat ac-
reage is only exceeded by its difncul-
ty of being carried out on many FARMS.
obviously no formula could apply to |