Smyrna times., 1934-05-17
NORMAL WHEAT
CROP is SEEN
Experts Say Restricted Acre
age ThruOut Nation Will
Not Greatly Reduce Crop
FULL CROP FOR STATE

No shortage in the wheat crop in
Delaware is expected this year,
other than that caused by the re-
striction of acreage under the Ag-
ricultural Adjustment Act. The
drought that has struck many of
the big western wheat growing
States has not objected Delaware,
according to authorities on farm
ing here. A full wheat crop is ex-
pected. Production of the 1884
wheat crop in Delaware is forecast
at 1,425,000 bushels, according to
Richard G. Ross, Federal agricul-
tural StatiStician. This forecast is
based upon reports submitted by
farmers on about May /. If this
production is realized, the 1884
crop will be early a third larger
than last years crop, but would be
nearly 80 per cent smaller than the
average of production during the
five years 1927 to 1881. Acreage
remaining for harvest is now esti-
mated at $4,000 acres, or about
three per cent smaller than the
acreage harvested last year and
about five per cent smaller than
the 1882 acreage. Former Cover
nor Robert p Robinson, master of
the Delaware Grange, said that
the conditions for a good wheat
crop in this State were apparently
favorable. Whether farmers here,
who agreed to restrict their acre
age under the agricultural act, will
lose, should there be a shortage of
wheat and the price soar, is a
moot question. E. w. Cooch, trea-
surer of the administrative board
for New Castle county, expressed
the belief that the farmers would
not lose much if any through their
restricted acreage, because the
rental" paid them is clear profit
and further because the govern
ment might, through the act, make
some adjustment in case of unus-
ually high prices. Inspectors are
now being selected for the inspec-
ton of those farms which are OPP
Grating with restricted acreage, to
see if the farmers complied with
their agreements. Inspections have
been postponed until after the corn
is planted. The balance of the
payments of rental, or bonus, on
the 1888 crop will be paid shortly,
Mr.. Cooch said. The Government
is paying, under the act, at the
rate of 80 cents bushel on the re-
duced production. Twenty cents
has been paid, and ten cents, less
the county administrative expens-
es, will be paid. The government,
Mr.. Cooch said, had anticipated an
administrative cost of about three
cents a bushel, but this cost has
been kept down to two cents, or
less, bushel here, making New
Castle county cne of the lowest in
the country. The farmers who
signed agreed to reduce their acre
age, agreed to reduce Is per cent
of the average amount of wheat
per year they had planted during
the past three years. The number
of farmers who agreed north of
Wilmington was small, but in Pen
cader and through Kent and into
Sussex a large number agreed to
restricted areas. In Sussex farm
ers agreed to limitation of corn
acreage rather than wheat. The
price of wheat is now 80 cents,
having gone up. 1t was higher at
the time the agreements were
made however Due to the fact
that the 80 cents paid in rental per
bushel, is free of all costs of plant
ing, cultivating and harvesting, is
clear profit to the farmer, wheat
would have to reach an unusually
high price for the farmers to feel
that they had lost by making the
agreements, it was pointed out.
Members of the New Castle Board
are: Eugene H. Shallcross, presi-
dent: Thomas Lattomus, vice-pres-
ident; E. w. Cooch, treasurer, and
Ed. Willim, Jr., secretary.