The Wilmington morning star., 1942-07-27
HIGH PRODUCTION
EXPECTED IN 1912
Record Already Achieved
in Dairy, Poultry And
Livestock Industries
GUY A. CARDWELL,
General Agricultural Agent,
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad

Atlantic coast Line hdlIrOdu
Company.
Signs continue to point at mld
year to a high record of agrlcul
tural production in 1912. Extra
ordinary production already has
been achieved by the dairy, poul
try, and livestock industries. Sim
liar achievements are expected by
products of most of the food and
feed crops. Farmers generally are
getting higher prices this summer
than last.
Farm income this year to date
has been running above 1941 fig
ures, but production costs are url~
usually heavy, particularly on ac
count of higher wages. The farm
payroll will total more than one
billion dollars this year. Exper'
fenced farm labor is not easy to
get-especially in areas where war
industries are drawing off labor.
Farmers have reported record
spring pig crop of 62 million head,
and plan a 43 million fall crop
The calf crop, estimated at 30 mil
lion, also sets record. Slaughter
of cattle and calves has been con-
siderably larger to date this year
than last, and the total for 1912
will be close to the government
slaughter goal of % million head
Total meat supply beef, pork,
lamb. po,1ltry-should be the big
gest on record.
Larger acreages of feed crops
have been planted this year, but
unusually good yields will be need
ed to exceed production IN l94i
Feeders meanwhile have been dip
ping heavily into carryover stocks,
and the total supply of feed
carryover plus new crops - may
be little smaller in 1942-43 thaa
in 1941-42. A further increase in
production of feed grains may be
needed next year to support the
record numbers of livestock on
farms at that time.
The mid-year crop report expect.
ed on July 10 will give the frs
comprehensive view of crop
acreages since issuance Of farm
ers' intentions reports last March
Biggest increases probably will be
in the oil crops - peanuts, soy
beans, flaxseed. Besides yielding
record output of edible and in
dustrial oils, big supplies of cake
and meal will be available as high
protein byproduct feed for live
stock. These will be valuable
supplement to reduced supplies of
feed grains.
Food crop acreages in general
are expected to be larger this year
than last, notably vegetables for
both fresh market and processing
Little information is available as
to "Victory Gardens" production.
but Federal specialists believe that
this production will have little ad-
verse effect upon the commercial
demand for fresh vegetables. Lit
tie of the garden stuff will be sold.
Practically all of it will be used
to improve the diets of the famll
les producing it.
A high record volume of vege-
tables for processing is in pros
pect, but large quantities will be
bought by the Federal government
for military use and lend-lease ex-
port, tnd the supply for civilian
use may be smaller than in 1e4i
The situation may be similar for
canned and dried fruits. Excep.
tionally large quantities of fruits
will be dried this year under pur-
chase agreements with producers
and professors.
Interest turns at mid-year to the
weather between now and fall
harvests; but Federal agricultural
officials also are looking ahead to
the availability of transport and
processing facilities after harvesL
Farmers are being urged to make
efficient use of trucking facilities
tc conserve tires, and to economic
in the use of gasoline. On all
transportation fronts. plans are
underway to eliminate waste ef~
fort, to take better care of cup
ment, and to make fuller use of
facilities through elimination of
less-than-capacity loads and cross
hauling.
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