Milford chronicle., 1948-04-09
New Seeding Risks
Faced By Farmers
Another Near Record Planting
Raises Several Questions
By Me Associated Press


For the seventh straight year in
war and in peace American farm
ers this spring are planting a near
record acreage.
Trying to fill the worlds bare
cupbOards they have other 1948
risks besides their usual gamble
on the weather.
The important ones are these:
L. Will they find a market for
their huge crops? Or will there be
price slumps?
2. Are they wearing out their
land beyond repair by planting
such huge crops?
3. Will there be war or peace.
come harvest time?
Experts of the United States DeA
partment of Agriculture and of
the United Nations Food and Agri-
culture Organization do not think
there is chance that the world
harvest can satisfy all the hungry
people this year.
The experts say it appears like
ly there will be ready markets for
all the food that can be produced.
Prices are expected to remain high.
Farmers Wary About Future
But farmers are not so sure.
Some were caught when markets
were glutted and prices slumped
after World War l.
James G. Patton, president of
the National Farmers Union, said:
American farmers have done
magnificent job of increasing pro-
ductiOn during the critical war and
postwar years, and apparently
this crop year will be another big
one.
American farmers cannot, of
course, supply more than a frac-
ton of the worlds need. Further
more, they have no assurance that,
despite the worlds need, that need
Normal distribution processes
have not been functiOning."
To Plant 361,OOO.OOO Acres
AS spring arrived United States
farmers notified the Department of
Agriculture they expected to plant
more than 361000,0OO acres. This
is far above the goal of 353,882.OOO
set by the Department of Agricul-
ture.
The prospect is about 100000
acres more than last year. With
the exception of the great war
peaks of 1943 and 1914 it is the
largest acreage planted since 1882
when farmers used 375,OOO,OOO
acres to produce a record crop and
increase their income in a depres-
sion era.
II nature cOOperates, the harvest
could rank right at the top this
year. There will be more CONNER
abundantly. When that day comes
American farmers know they will
be up against the age-Old problem
of finding buyers for their pro-
ducts.
"The only real and lasting solu-
ton is a firm world peace based
on international goodwill and eco
nOmic cooperation, and that is what
American farmers really would
like to see more than anything
else"
Similarly, Allan B. Kline, presi-
dent of the American Farm Bureau
Federation, blamed world ecOnom-
les for part of the hunger.
'"The severity of the food situa-
tiOn has been aggravated by the
breakdown of the distribution sys-
tenn and the instability of curren-
cies in many countries" he said.
can be translated into buying pow-
er for farm products.
so long as our Congress con-
tinues to appropriate huge sums of
money for aid abroad, just so long
will farm prices continue at good
levels.
Sooner or later, however. other
countries will begin producing
cial fertilizer available than ever
before; about double pre-war
quantities. Labor will be scarce
but sufficient to harvest the crops.
according to Labor Department
officials.
THE great question now ahead
in this country is the weather"
said Clinton P. Anderson, Secre-
tary of Agriculture.
Extended drought last fall in
the Southern Great Plains means
that good weather from now on
for the winter wheat crop will be
more important than at this time