The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-02-24
Most Farmers i'm
County Take Part
In New Ag. Setup
System of "Goals" Set
for Participation Pay
ments on Some Crops

Before the group at the Kiwanis
luncheon this week in Kennewick,
Waldo w. Skuse, county extension
agent. gave some interesting infor-
maion regarding the 1898 Conser-
Walton Program and the general
production control programs as COW
cred by the recently passed bill.
Two thirds of the county parti-
cipated in the 1887 program; prob
ably nearly all Of them will be
identified in the 1898 program, as
1t is much less restrictive in certain
features and much more liberal on
the smaller sized farms. Mr.. Skuse
brought out the point that our farm
ing revolves, so to speak, about al
falfa as a major crop, and credit
is given for old fields maintained
as well as new fields seeded. Gre
dit is also given where phosphates
are used in the seeding OF new
fields of perennial legumes or
grasses.
A system of goals" is used: a
soil building goal, a soil depicting
goal, and a potato goal for farms
on which the normal potato acre
age is three acres or more. Goals
will be figured for each farm. II
the farmer concerned keeps his
farming plans within the goals he
Is eligible for certain benefit pay
ments. These payments are OF a
token" nature and are designed
to help cover his cost in complying
such as buying seed, etc. The pro
gram is not compulsory. In no
case does farmer receive pay
ments for letting land lie idle. The
program thus far has served TO
bring into practice better farming
plans Of rotations and soil feeding
by means Of cover, green manure,
and soil conserving crops. Our soil
fertility is being better maintained.
AS part OF the 1897 program SUI
gar beet growers will receive about
SO cents a ton as part Of the Con-
servation program and $1.82 a ton
as the payment In accordance with
the special sugar beet law passed
recently, which payments are in adj
dition to those received from tho
sugar company. Also potato grow
ers will receive special payments as
part Of the 1888 program. They win
be paid 4 cents a bushel on an av-
erage production Of 5.37 tons per
acre, figuring $7.16 per acre on po-
tatoes grown, up to and not In ex-
cess Of the potato goal. The goal
for the county is 1898 acres and is
the sum OF the individual goals. It-
is not yet known the exact reduc-
ton this will represent from the
normal acreages.
Sugar beet growers will be COM
pensated In 1893 as a means OF
stimulating production to take care
OF domestic needs, which process
may take few years. The average
production In Benton county In 1897
was 1907 tons per acre; In the en-
tire Yakima valley, 1876 tons per
acre. These figures will likely be
increased considerably in 1898, as
production difficulties will be COR
rected to an extent, based on ex-
perience. Over 400 acres of beets
were harvested in the county i'm
1887. Twice that amount have al
ready been contracted for 1888. The
production in the entire valley win
be 5000 acres or more. Growers
will mostly want to grow ten or
more acres annually, once they are
lined out on production plan.
AS to the special control program
OF the five major crops of corn, rice,
cotton, tobacco and wheat, already
schedules are made for farmers to
vote on placing the laws In effect
on corn, cotton and tobacco. It is
still uncertain about rice control
for this year. Wheat cannot be
considered till there is BURDEN
some surplus" which is defined as
$40 ,000.0 bushels or more. II that
much wheat is on hand after the
1898 harvest, and the farmers by
two-thirds vote are in favor, the
Secretary Of Agriculture can declare
an emergency to put into effect the
provisions Of this bill. Farmers
would be given quotas based on
normal production and the tax on
wheat sold over quota would be Csc
a bushel. At the same time, the
provisions of crop income insurance
and loans against warehouse stocks
would also become effective.
1t is expected that sugar benefit
payments viii be made in March.
In a comparatively short time
farmers will be notified OF their
goals in the 1893 program.