Evening star., 1935-03-21
WHEAT EXPANSION
ALL0WEDBYA.A.A
All Spring Planting Curbs
Lifted by Wallace, Citing
Drought.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Agricultural Adjustment Admins
tration oficials expect the acreage
planted to wheat to expand by from
SOC, 900 to 100000 acres as a result
of Secretary Wallace's action in rel
moving all restrictions on sowing OF
Spring wheat.
Wallace announced yesterday that
Spring wheat farmers, instead of re-
ducing acreage by the 10 per cent
which was decreed last Fall. will
be allowed to plant their full acreage
and make a larger reduction in their
1886 paintings.
Threats Of a 1885 drought and q
desire to avoid wheat shortage led
the A. A. A. to this decision, Wal
lace declared. He characterized 1t
as a duty Of Government and the
farmers" to protect consumers from
a shortage. He also said 1t was a
duty Of Government and consumers"
to protect farmers from the piling up
Of Surpluses and resulting low prices.
Cites Subnormal Figures.
"The drought quite definitely con-
tinues," the Secretary said. He
pointed to figures showing the pre-
cipitation percentage Of normal dur
ing January and February to be:
Idaho, 81: Kansas. 80; Montana, 81;
Nebraska. 81: North Dakota, IS:
South Dakota. 70; Oklahoma, 80;
Oregon, II; Texas, 1902; Utah, 6a and
Wyoming, 81.
Adaptation Of the wheat program
Is one of a series Of steps taken by
A. A. A, first to help the farmers
through the worst drought on record
and conserve the Nations food supply
in 1884. and second to complete the
recovery from consequences of
drought this year, so as to give con-
sumers double assurances of ample
national food supplies" the A. A. A.
said.
Wallace's announcement followed
quickly after the years first crop re-
port showing farmers intend to plant
l7S47, 900 acres of Spring wheat. as
compared with the 1881 900 acres
planted in 1884.
100000 to $4,000. 900 Bushels.
The Secretary estimated that the
additional acreage would harvest be-
tween 100000 and 10000. 900
bushels more. Spring wheat is nor
mally about one-fourth OF the total
wheat crop. Any surplus of wheat
which may accumulate will be taken
care Of by the "ever-normal' granary
! plan, or the storing of reserves to be
held against lean years. he said.
Secretary Wallace said that while
wheat supplies had been reduced to
about normal. none of the factors
which contributed to the 1888 surplus
such as the loss of foreign markets,
had been removed.
| He said that. consequently, the ad-
ministration wes preparing to place
in effect the ever-normal granary
plan.
Loans TO Cover Storage.
Any surplus would be stored ON the
| farm under Government loans until
the following crop year when a fur
ther reduction in acreage would be
made to bring the total supply to
normal.
The Crop Reporting Board esti-
mated national paintings of Is crops,
not including cotton, at 285, It's. 900
acres. compared with the extremely
short harvested acreage of 244, ,486, 900
acres in 1894 which resulted from
| heavy abandonment during the grow
ing season because of drought.
| The Secretary denied that the de-
cision to increase wheat acreage re-
suited from an expectation of in
creased foreign sales because of the
European situation. 1t was aimed
solely at protecting domestic con-
| sWmers, he said.