Show F Farmers a ar r mer 5 and Cur Curtailment t a i I men t By Frederic J. J Haskin W WASHINGTON ASHINGTON Beginning with the regime of President nt Hoover the American farmer has been besought besought be be- sought to reduce his planted acreage acreage acreage acre acre- age with all the argumentative eloquence at the command of oC government government gov gay officials Moving Into the Roosevelt administration the greater eloquence of ot cash was brought Into play and farmers were offered money for not planting planting planting plant plant- ing crops A survey of ot the s tua- tua tion this spring conducted by the department of ot agriculture reveals that a reaction has haa set et in and arid that the American husbandman intends to follow his own spirit in the matter matter matter mat mat- ter of at planting Natural Natural or or perhaps it might be better to say unnatural unnatural conditions conditions will militate against bumper crops In the old sense The of at the west have swept millions of at tons of ot un uncultivable cultivable matter onto to fields The formerly arable arabic land is in many counties drifted deep with dust dunes while white in other sections sections sec sec- the topsoil has b been n swept away so ro thoroughly that there is nothing humus and hospitable in inthe inthe inthe the soil to receive the seed Reports Re- Re ports poris from some regions show the drouth to be worse for lor the period than it was at the same rome period last year Wilt Will Seek Bumper Dumper Crops These conditions which last year resulted in production of the poorest poorest poor poor- est crops in a generation or or more may be projected right through the growing season in which case no effort of ot the farmer can forestall another short crop Meantime in some sections of at the cast the rains have been so continuous that plowing plowing plowing plow plow- ing has been halted The ground over considerable territories in lowland and upland has turned almost almost al al- al- al most roost to bog and a considerable period of oC dry weather will be required required required re re- re- re to make the land solid enough to finish plowing and permit permit permit per per- mit planting to b begin gin Perhaps it is a 0 realization of ot these conditions which has caused farmers to increase their plantings this spring so far as conditions have permitted them to plant at atalL atalL atall alL Perhaps it is a direct reaction from the government curtailment program which is responsible Whatever the motive American farmers are going to try to increase their yields Temptation of ot Better Prices To be sure there is the additional Impulse toward profit The level of ot farm prices has been very materially materially materially ma ma- lifted b by the shortage resulting resulting resulting re re- re- re from last seasons season's drouth and curtailment program The lift is impressive Taking T the average of ot 1914 1909 as a base representing it is found that the low point for the twentieth century was reat reached ed for grain prices in February February February ary 1933 The Index was down to 34 3 34 or a bare trifle over third one-third of oC the prewar price After having been to a peak of oC in 1919 this was a bitter pilL In February 1935 the index was up to On the same Index basis cotton and cottonseed prices struck a low of 44 in February ry 1933 and In February Feb Feb- 1935 had risen to Fruits rose from a low of ot 64 6 to 90 Truck crops having a big city quick turnover turnover turnover turn turn- over market did not sink so low In early 1933 they were down only to 96 96 but now are arc U up to But lump all oU important farm commodities commodities com corn together and it is found that the low at the beginning of ot 1933 was 55 while now the Index Ls is lip Up to lOa or just short of double Farmer Ea Eager er for Profits The American farmer is just as keen about making profits as anone anyone anyone any any- one else and for a number of oC years he and profits hive have been cn on the worst of ot terms The profits have refused to come near him So it would be entirely reasonable to believe believe believe be be- lieve that in view of th the new price level ever every farm farmer r is anxious to produce a large crop in order to take advantage of at what now apI ap ap- ap- ap I pear fancy and profitable prices He figures quite naturally th that a chance offers for him to get back some of ot his own Any farmer lariner is aware that what he plants and what he harvests are arc two very different things What the harvest will wm be is an issue which rests in the lap of ot Demeter or of Ceres or of ot Pomona But Bu at least at seed time the farmer can cart cando do his hi part and give those goddesses goddesses goddesses god god- desses something to work on The department of agriculture has communicated through its thousands of at crop correspondents with a vast number of or farmers to find out what they have ha planted and what the they Intend to plant weather and soil conditions per per- On the basis of ot the figures figures figures fig fig- ures obtained estimates based on long experience have been made of at wh what t the harvest may be Facts Shown by Survey The corn harvest of ol 1934 was wu on acres and the 1935 harvest harvest harvest har har- vest will be on acres The 1934 1034 spring wheat harvest was on acres and this year will willbe willbe be on acres Oats Increase increase increase in In- crease from to acres and barIe barley from to acres Dry edible beans were harvested last year on 1 acres and this year a 1 acre crop is indicated Rice rises from to acres while peanuts go up from to acres Last y year ar the tobacco harvest was from acres and this year will presumably ably be on acres Animal feed is e. e especially important important tant as last years year's crop was short An acreage increase from to acres Is noted in grain groin sorghums while tame hay rises from to acres The potato crop will not be increased increased increased in in- creased apparently Last year the harvest was on acres acres and this year only acres h hove ve been planted Similarly last years year's harvest harve t of sweet potatoes and was on acres and this year will be on acres anly a very slight gain The total acreage which the early spring reports indicate willbe will willbo bo ho harvested in the growing year of at 1935 will vill aggregate compared with only acres last year rear and acres in 1933 There was drouth in 1933 but nothing so serious as last year But the government curtailment program had started In that year ear So this substantially increased plan planting tin gives every appearance appearance appearance ap ap- ap- ap of representing a strong reaction on the part of the farmer To what extent these forecasts forecasts- will be realized must remain a matter matter matter mat mat- ter for conjecture Yields per acre var vary widely in different years ears because because because be be- cause of ot weather conditions crop diseases and all aU the plagues to which growing things are ible How much acreage will have to be abandoned can only be guessed Farm prosperity has always been considered on earnest of ot general prosperity and with the higher price level and larger crops there is promise of a materially Increased gain in farm arm purchasing power Certainly for the first half hat year of 1935 the farm income will wm be above the same period a 0 year ago Moreover government payments will vill be higher In iii the first six months of at 1934 government benefit and rental payments amounted to while this year the payments for lor the same period will run between and There Is always the possibility that increased crops will beat prices down again but in view of threatened shortages in some crops this seems unlikely to occur this year ear Indeed the price level is expected to continue rising The farmer seems to b be coming into his own and may conceivably become a contributor to the income tax v w |