Smyrna times., 1946-09-26

POWci-ldhc Ou Oul VI 6cdi. IL
every farmer followed this rule, we
would have mighty few accidents
like we have had in recent years
in our corn fields"
Potato Average Goal
Delaware potato growers will
find that next year potato acreage
goals will be set for their farms.
The 1947 Potato Production Pro-
gram calls for a national potato
acreage goal of 1851, 900 acres or
about six per cent less than plant
ed this year. The national goal
will be broken down by States on
the basis of past yields and the
acreage planted. divided into
county acreage goals by the State
Production and Marketing Admin
istration Committee. and individ-
ual farms by County Agricultural
Conservation Committees.
Potatoes are the first important
crop which has run into postwar
surplus trouble. Because surpluses
may be ahead for other crops, the
methods which will be used to
handle the surplus problem of po-
tatoes are of interest not only to
potato growers but to all farmers.
This year a large acreage was
planted and the yield was excep-
tionally big. Production exceeds
requirements. Until September Is
the government has supported the
price through direct purchases of
potatoes. In all more than 81 mil
lion bushels have been purchased.
To prevent a recurrence of this
years experience farm acreage
goals will be set and only farmers
who plant within their goals will
be eligible for government price
supports next year. Normal pro-
duition from the acreage goal set
for 1947 is expected to meet the
estimated requirements for the
year.
St0p-Drop HOrmone Sprays
University of Delaware horticul-
turists are checking in test plots
the effectiveness of PAD to stop
the pre-harvest drop of apples.
Widely known as an effective weed
killer, they have found that the
Stayman Winesap variety of ap-
Piles will remain on the trees long
er when PAD is applied at one one
hundredth the concentration used
for killing weeds. Tests show that
it is not satisfactory for other va
rieties.
Use of stop-drop hormone sprays
in Delaware orchards has become
a popular practice among orchard
men to prevent loss of crop due to
winds and to keep ripened fruit on
the trees until they are able to
pick them.
Seed Fall Grains Soon
Cool weather in Delaware is a
reminder that fall grains should be
seeded within the next few weeks,
says Claude Phillips, Extension ag-
economist for the University of
Delaware. This applies to winter
oats, barley and wheat.
Winter oats should be seeded
earlier than barley or wheat, pre-
ferably before October /. Tests
with winter oats varieties at
Georgetown and Newark show
that the best variety available for
Delaware is Lee Cold Proof. Ac-
cording to Phillips, comparative
ly new variety, F'ulwin, has given
good yields, but has a tendency to
excessive lodging. Seeding rate
for winter oats is two bushels per
acre in Northern Delaware, and
two and one-half bushels per acre
in Southern Delaware.
Barley should be planted be-
tween Sept. $3.50 in New Castle
and upper Kent Counties and by
october 5 in lower Kent and Sus-
sex Counties, advises Phillips.
Leading barley variety in this
state is Wong, with the seeding
rate at two bushels per acre.
Wheat, while one of the import
ant crops in Delaware, has a low
average yield per acre for the
state-about IT'S bushels. Even
so, some farmers are harvesting as
much as an average 35 to 40 BUSH
els per acre. Low yields may be
attributed to poor varieties and not
enough fertilization.
Phillips recommends bearded
wheats as being more resistant to
disease, higher in yield than the
smooth varieties. Nittany is one
of the best bearded wheats avail
able for Delaware, while of the