Browning chief., 1944-04-07

culture, one ounce of seed can grow
ID, as is the practice in Europe.
Total land in seeds harvested in
l943 was 423 1891 acres, with 80,824
acres covering the small or light
seeds and the remainder in garden
beans, peas and corn. These figures
compare with 1928 total acreage
in 1912, and 1890 acres in the light
seeds.
Production of certified seed pota-
toes last year set new record, AZ
per cent higher than the 1912 record
crop. The harvest totaled 29, ,04A 1858
bushels, compared with 20, ,491 ,817 in
~. This represents more than 6
per cent of the U. S. production Of
all potatoes, and is nearly 215 times
the lO-year average (1932-41) of
1853, 1899 bushels.
Hay and Cover Crop Seeds.
Seed for forage and cover crops
is receiving more attention than usu-
al this year. The 1914 conservation
program emphasizes cover crops to
help increase production, with a con-
sequent need for more seed.
Harvest of legume and grass
seeds will be encouraged in 1914 un-
der the provisions of the Conserva-
ton Practices Program of the Ag-
ricultural Adjustment agency. Pay
ment of $3.50 for each harvested
acre will be allowed up to a maxi
mum of Is acres on any farm. Seeds
included are legume and grass seeds
with the exception of timothy, red
top, Austrian peas, Kentucky blue
grass, cowpeas and soybeans.
The clover seed harvest, taken as
whole, did not fare so we'll. Red
clover seed acreage was expanded
Is per cent, with an estimated pro-
duction of 1,142,90O bushels, II per
cent more than the 1912 crop OF
l,026, 100 bushels. Acres harvested
were upped to 1879 900, an increase
of l69,300 acres over 1912. Yield
dropped from go of a bushel per
acre to .89 of bushel. Acreage
increase was largely in Wisconsin
and Michigan.
Timothy seed, with an estimated
l,499,600 bushels, dropped II per
cent below the 1912 harvest of 1,678,-
500 bushels of seed. The decrease
is reported due to a smaller acreage
1894, ,000), since yield per acre of
3.Sl bushels is only slightly less than
the 3.84 bushels for 1912 and is more
than the 1924 average of 3.2l BUSH
els. Harvested acreage for seeds
was smaller in all important states
except Wisconsin and Pennsylvania
but acreage cut for hay was larger
than the previous year, apparently
because of a greater need for tim
othy hay than for the seed.
More Lespedeza.
Lespedeza seed production totaled
l59, ,920, 900 pounds, 81 per cent in
crease over the 1924 average of
95,564,0 900 pounds, but per cent
smaller than the 1943 crop of 170,-
100000 pounds. A 9 per cent re-
duction in yield per acre more than
offset 3 per cent increase in plant
ed acres. Yield was only 1865
pounds, due to summer and fall
drouth, as compared with 2l66
pounds in 1912. Total acres were
estimated at $4,000.
The harvest during the coming
season of increased amounts of
grass and legume seeds, vegetable
seeds and of seed crops in general
is highly advisable, says the War
Food administration. 1t Will raise
the national seed supply and pro-
vide for increased domestic farm
production to meet expanding war
requirements for food and fiber. And
it will provide seeds to help meet
the needs of the Allies and of the
liberated countries as they are freed
from Axis control. Making as much
seed as possible available to Euro
pean farmers when that phase of the
war ends, will aid them to rehabili-
tate their land so that they can grow
more food and fiber for themselves,
thereby lowering their requirements
for farm commodities from the Unit
ed States.