The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-03-27
FARM ACREAGE
ABOUT NORMAL
Government Report Shows
American Farmers Not
Curtailing Acreage

The following statement of the ag-
ricultural outlook for 1924 based up
on current information and upon re-
ports from $4,000 farmers, repre-
senting every agricultural county in
the country, stating their intentions
regarding the planting of spring
crops, has been prepared by the Bu-
reau of Agricultural Economies of
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture to provide a basis upon
which producers may make readjust-
ments to meet economic changes.
The general agricultural outlook
for 1924 indicates that farmers are
undertaking a normal production
program. 1t is apparent, however,
that agricultural production this year
will still be attended by the difficult
ties arising from high wages and
other costs, loss of farm workers,
and the general disparity between
prices of farm and urban products.
Domestic demand for agricultural
products is at high level. Urban
prosperity is reflected in heavy cur
rent consumption of fibers and high
quality foods and this may be ex-
pected to continue into the summer
Foreign markets, on the whole,
seem likely to maintain about the
present level of demand for our cot
ton, pork, wheat and tobacco.
The situation this season with re-
spect to labor, machinery, fertilizer,
credit and other cost items is not
such as to favor any extension in
production.
The wheat situation shows some
tendency toward Improvement with
the market continuing somewhat
more favorable for producers of
spring than winter wheat. Spring
wheat growers report intentions to re-
duce their acreage IA per cent below
last springs paintings. Should
abandonment of winter wheat acre
age be light, as at present indicated,
the reduction in acreage harvested
may not be proportional to the re-
duction in seedlings as reported last
fall.
The swine industry is going thru
period of liquidation and discour-
agement. Record runs of hogs to
market still continue. In the past,
such periods of heavy production and
low prices have led to a reduction
in breeding so drastic as to result
later on in shortage and in reversal
of the corn-hog balance. Indications
are that hog producers have now
passed the peak of production and
may be moving into one of the re-
current periods of low production.
The dairy industry has expanded
to the point where gross domestic
production in terms of whole milk,
slightly exceeds gross domestic con-
sumption. Altho: .1S million pounds
net of butter and "a million pounds
of cheese were imported during 1923,
stocks of condensed milk and other
products, more than equivalent to
these imports, were piled up within
the country. Judging from the num-
bers of cows on farms, there will be
a further increase in domestic pro-
duction in 1924. Foreign surplus
production is likewise steadily in
creasing. This competition, coupled
with the already heavy production in
this country and the possibility that
consumer demand may not be indef-
initely maintained at levels predicat-
ed upon great industrial activity, sug-
gest the necessity for conservatism
as to further expansion in dairy pro-
duction.
Poultry production has expanded
rapidly in recent years. The record
number of chickens now on farms in
dicates further expansion in 1924.
Consumption has also increased at a
rate that has maintained average
prices to producers. Present compar-
atively low storage stocks place the
dressed poultry in somewhat strong
er position than eggs. It would ap-
pear that poultry production is now
at a point where further profitable
expansion may be dependent upon
continuation Of the present high lev