The Dolores star., 1924-02-15
Crop Changes Are
Found Necessary
Unusual Number of Adjust
ments Have Been Made
by Farmers.

AilhouSh types of farming In the |
United States are more or less fixed |
oy necessary adaptation to conditions |
OF soil. climate, and markets. they are
always undergoing minor changes, and
the last few years with the uprece.
lented disturbances in commodity
prices and in production and transpor-
tation costs, have brought about an un-
usual number of readjustments The
United States Department of AgricuI
ture has obtained reports on crop
| changes in many states. which give
some idea of the shakc-up in asricul-
ture.
Eastern farmers, with high freight
rate diherential in their favor, are con.
sidering whether they cannot produce
some of the feed which they now buy
In the South the inrouds of the boil
weeyil have compelled some farmers to
turn from specialization in cotton to
other crops. Flax has been success.
fully substituted for wheat In small
portion Of the spring wheat region.
For many farmers flax is a highly nj
tractive crop as a substitute for part
| Of their wheat. This was demon.
strated by the cash returns from the
1922 crops. which were high for fax
and low for wheat. As result. FAX
acreage this year was increased to
100000 acres from 100000 acres in
1922. The present fax acreage Is the
largest since 1913. Yet home produc.
ton will probably not supply half the
home demand. We have imported fax
every year since 1909. Under the pres
ent tariff of 40 cents bushel, II Is
likely fax acreage will Increase still
more.
There has been a big Increase in the
number of sheep In the United States
In the last two years. under the stimu-
lus OF tariff protection and nm active
demand for wool. Two-thrds of our
sheep are raised on the range and one.
third on the farms. Many farmers
who already have sheep can no doubt
Increase their flocks with profit. say
live stock experts in the Department
Of Agriculture. Others, 1t is said,
could protitably add sheep to the live
stock enterprises
Sheep Rasing Profitable.
In the last year the farm price of
sheep has risen from $3.50 to $3.50 a
head; the farm price of wool has in
creased from an average Of 20 cents
"a pound in 1922 to 3S cents. These |
advances have been n boon to many
farmers whose major crops have not |
h-A Ifyhf rArIr LNttrth hnr "a
sion of the sheep industry probably |
would be profitable.
Farmers in the semiarid regions, |
especially in western North Dakota |
and eastern Montana, are finding that
It pays them to grow corn on land
which they have been accustomed to
summer-fallOw. With only small ad-
ditlonal amount OF labor required for
planting and cultIvatlng, they are
growing feed crop which helps them
to broaden their live stock production.
Experts of the Department of Agrlcul-
ture say that farmers in these areas
who have enough live stock should
plant as much corn as they can con
venlently handle.
II the present price of corn con
tinues. II is believed II will be profit
able to increase the corn acreage In
most of the corn belt. In 1922 the
spread in Ohio between the value of
an acre of corn and that Of an acre of
wheat was wider than in any year
since 1913. An acre OF corn In OHIO
this year promises to be worth nearly
twice as much as an acre OF wheat or
oats. In Chester county, Pa, the aver
age value of an acre of corn giving the
normal Weld of 65 bushels at 10 cents
n bushel would be $40, while the value
of an acre of wheat yielding % bushels
at S5 cents would be only $2l. While
this relation exists farmers naturally
have n strong motive to reduce their
wheat acreage and keep their corn
acreage ND to the highest point con
sIstent with n balanced labor program
and the maintenance of soil fertility.
Wheat acreage has been cut down
throughout the country since 1919
except In parts Of the Northwest
: states. which are practically one
/ cron area. The location and size Ol
, farms in this one-crop territory otteh
prevent anv fundamental change IN
, the type of farming. Yet farmers
ore introducing milk cows on their
farms, or Increasing the number al
: reodv owned. Some have been success
| rul with hogs and poultry. A comDlh"-
tIon of wheat. corn and i've stock mas
, been tried on some farms with sooa
results. ,,
| Farming conditions are more haZaru'
ous in the Montana triangle thah II,
any other part of the sprIng-whea'
, area. Many OF the "dry' farms n @ ,pe
, territory have been abandoned ao'ne
Of the farmers who have stayed al.
| irving mixed farming Go'erhiheii,
experts believe there are prospects Oh
, success in some localities.
, Farmers Overlook Opportunities
Farmers in some parts OF 'he co"n
.r, ore overlooking opportunities "