Evening star., 1943-07-09
Crop Planting
Increased by
1871 for '43
343, 900 Acres
To Supply Food;
Corn, Wheat Down
By MALCOLM LAMBORNE. Jr.

hy MALCOLM LAMbOhNE, JT.
Farmers of the Nation have
planted 343, ,496, 900 acres in the
27 important food and feed crops
for harvest this year, an increase
of 1.8 per cent over last years
record acreage, the Agriculture
Department announced late to-
day.
Estimated production Of corn
considered one of the most vital
crops in the Nations food program
because of its value as feeds q
F06,552,000 bushels. The 1912 corn
crop was 3,175, 5,l54, 900 bushels.
Indicated production of wheat
vital as both feed and foods 790,-
$4,000, as compared with harvest
of 981 ,327 900 bushels last year.
In its most comprehensive report
of crop prospects for 1943, the de-
partment forecast generally good
yields" on what promises to be the
largest acreage in IL years. Be
cause of large increases in screages
q number of crops seem likely to far
exceed production in any past year.
the report. based on conditions Of
July l, said.
Jones Sees Enough Food"
Commenting on the report, War
Food Administrator Marvin Jones
said that it bears out earlier fore
casts that we will have enough food
in this country-given at least aver
age weather for the rest of the year
to give civilians adequate and
healthful diets, in addition to meet
ing military and other essential
wartime requirements
He added that even though the
report appears more encouraging
than that of June, sit gives no
reason for any belief that we are
out of the woods. Even If
present expectations are fully
reached, the total wartime demand
for our food will far exceed the
supply-there still is every need to
produce and conserve feed and food
to the very limit of our ability
Conditions Favorable.
The department estimated that
indications now point to an aggre-
gate crop production this year or
about ia per cent of the 1882
average. This compares with l26
per cent production in 1912.
AT the present time" the depart
ment added. growing conditions
appear to be favorable in all except
a few States There is reason to
believe that a tendency toward an
Improvement of crops has continued
into July.
Stressing that crop paintings were
off to a late and uneven start, the
report said that only nine scattered
States report crop conditions equal
to the highly favorable outlook
year ago.
Bumper crops of dry beans, pea
nuts. f1axseed, rice, potatoes and
sugar cane were forecast, and a
near record crop of hay, soy beans
and barley seemed probable" Ad-
mitting that this years wheat pro-
duction will fall far below the 1912
near record crop, the report said
that the 100, 1923, 900 bushels would
be about average, excluding the
drought years.
Farmers Doing Best.
The forecast for corn also would
be much below" the production last
year but would be slightly larger
than other corn crops since 1882.
Farmers generally are doing
their best the report said. Not
withstanding the floods of late
spring and the disturbing readjust-
ments of wartime the harvested
acreage of principle feed crops is
expected to be close to 347,000, 900
acres compared with 100000 900 last
year"
The area planted to corn this
year is 94,297 900 acres, compared
with 80 ,484 600 acres last year and
a l0-year average of 94,5ll.0oo acres.
Wheat production was forecast at
73o,524,0 900 bushels a month ago.
Production was 981 1927 900 bushels
last year. and the 10-year average
is 738.412 900 bushels.
Winter wheat production this year
is forecast at 519.190.000 bushels,
compared with SOL. .702 900 bushels
forecast a month ago. 703, 1880
bushels produced last year. and a
1o-year average production of $780,
1o1 900 bushels.
The spring wheat crop is forecast
at 271 ,633 900 bushels, compared with
228.822 900 bushels forecast month
ago, 278.074.000 bushels produced
(See CROPS. Page 2-X.)