Show Optimism Shown Show Over Bumper Crop Conditions I As Government Makes Final Survey for 1945 I Wheat Leads Off With Largest Harvest Ever Grown in the Country Americas America's 1945 farm outlook gives promise of a total production higher I Ithan than for any year on record except the bumper seasons of 1942 and 1944 I Some acres are due to i be harvested with record or near- near record productions indicated for a number of crops Many above aver aver- average average average age acre yields are anticipated with witha a record yield of 1477 bushels per acre expected for potatoes a near- near record for rice and an exceptionally high yield for oats over 7 bushels above the year 10 average and close to o the 1942 record Above average yields fields are expected for barley rye I wheat corn sugar beets sugar sugarcane sugarcane cane dry yeas peas tobacco sweet pota pota- potatoes potatoes potatoes toes and a number of the vegetable crops Milk production may total as much as two to two and a half hall bil bil- billion billion bil- bil billion lion pounds more than in 1944 for a anew anew anew new record N. N E. E Dodd chief of the Agricultural Agricultural tural ural adjustment agency which has the job of helping U. U S. S farmers work out acreage goals reports that 1945 goals appear to have been met metor or exceeded for wheat oats rice dry peas tobacco and peanuts and that both flaxseed and sugar beets while not reaching hoped-for hoped goals are well above the 1944 Preserving Prese g the Land Despite the hard use to which the theand theland theland land and has had to be subjected during the he war years it is still going strong Dodd said one of the main reasons being the influence of in increased in- in increased increased creased use of soil building and soil and water conserving practices A considerable part of this years year's ex ex- expected expected ex- ex expected harvest he emphasized can be traced directly to improved meth- meth methods methods ds of handling soil Last year set new records for ex ex- example example ex- ex example ample for acreage under contour cultivation and that planted to green manure and cover crops Acreage of small grains gr ins and other drilled crops grown on the contour more than doubled over 1943 and still fur fur- further further further ther increases are seen for 1945 Lime and being used to o establish soil improving crops are showing rapid increases and would be far greater according to Dodd if ff larger arger quantities of these vital ma- ma materials materials were available As it is 87 per cent more was used on legumes and grasses in 1944 under the AAA program than the average for 43 1939 and nine times as much as in 1936 Terracing strip-cropping strip irrigation irrigation irrigation tion weed control and many other improved farming practices are also doing their part in holding the fer fer- fertile fertile fer- fer fertile tile top soil on fields and in conserving conserving ing ng moisture Crop Prospects Reported Naturally farm production cannot be calculated as accurately as in industrial in- in industrial industrial production Even if factors such as labor machinery storage and marketing repair parts fertilizer zer and soil conditions are favor favor- favorable favorable favorable able the farmer cannot be sure that the weather wont won't upset his well- well laid aid plans The present harvest is late in some sections due to un un- unseasonable unseasonable un- un unseasonable seasonable spring weather that in interfered in- in interfered interfered with planting schedules and in some cases necessitated last minute crop shifts Drouth floods and inroads by insects and pests of various kinds can still throw the farmers farmer's entire production schedule out of line But heres here's what this years year's outlook on individual crops is Wheat Largest crop of record and the third U. U S. S bushel billion-bushel crop Estimated at bushels this years year's indicated wheat harvest is bushels above ii rw h s 4 M w r 9 Yf N Loading alfalfa hay on a Wiscon Wiscon- Wisconsin sin farm This years year's hay crop promises to be the second largest on record A f by w n AYr a Yr Hay flay and corn have bave been strip-cropped strip on this North Carolina farm to protect the soil from erosion and to help increase crop yield the previous record crop of 1944 It Itis Itis Itis is 43 per cent greater than the 10 year average for 1934 Winter wheat production up is-up is' is up 14 per cent over last year Estimated acreage of all aU wheat for harvest is acres 95 per cent above 1944 with winter wheat acreage substantially above last year in nearly all important important important tant producing states Oats Oats Oats-Oats Oats production is expected to be the largest since 1920 a total of bushels This is 33 per cent above the 1944 crop and 45 per cent above the year 10 aver aver- age Indicated yield per acre is bushels The estimated planting of acres in 1945 is the largest I of record This is the sixth consecutive consecutive consecutive tive year in which the oats acreage shows an increase for the country as asa asa a whole I Corn Marked improvement in prospects during July has resulted in an August 1 estimate of about bushels of corn in 1945 The current estimate while below three successive bushel crops in 1942 1943 and 1944 exceeds production in any year except 1923 and 1932 of the two preceding dec dec- dec dec- ades The average yield of bush bush- bushels bushels bushels els compares with bushels esti esti- estimated estimated estimated mated a month ago bushels last year and the average of bushels per acre Most important corn grow grow- growing growing growing ing states had corn weather dur dur- during during during ing the latter part of July favoring better than average progress called remarkable in some sec sec- sections to to bring an increase of bushels in prospect since July 1 Rye Rye Indicated Indicated production of 27 bushels is up slightly more than bushels over last year the result of a higher per acre yield since the acreage for harvest is 7 per cent smaller This is still only two-thirds two of the 43 1934 average pro pro- Rice Rice Rice-It If the indicated harvest of bushels is realized it will willbe willbe be the largest rice crop on record and more than 8 per cent above last years year's record level A prospective yield of nearly 50 bushels an acre plus a record near-record seeding of 1511 acres is credited with the new high Acreage increases are re reported re- re reported reported ported in each of the rice producing states California Louisiana Tex Tex- Texas as and Arkansas with farmers in inthe inthe inthe the first two named exceeding re re- reported reported re- re reported ported March intentions Barley The expected harvest of bushels will be 5 per cent below the 1944 production and 1 per cent less than the year 10 aver aver- age Sharp declines are indicated in all of the major barley producing states except California The entire acreage seeded an estimated acres is about 17 per cent less less than 1944 and 19 per cent below av av- av- av Dry Beans The Beans The smallest production production production tion since 1936 is anticipated for 1945 the indicated total of bags of pounds each un- un cleaned being more than one- one fourth less than the record-breaking record crop harvested in 1943 Bean plant plant- plantings plantings ings tags in Michigan Mic igan and New York total acres the smallest since 1939 and less than were planted in Michigan alone in 1941 Farmers ap ap- appear appear ap- ap appear pear to be reducing their plantings to about the level of the years before the present war Lima bean production is expected to be a little larger than last year California's acres marking an increase of acres over 1944 Dry Peas Although considerably bly less than last years year's big crop the 1945 production will probably be beabout beabout beabout about double the prewar average for fora a total of some pound bags Acreage this year also double the prewar average aver aver- average age ag age is concentrated mainly in the Pacific Northwest About acres are expected to be harvested with yield indicated at 1074 pounds per acre below 1944 and year 10 average Soybeans A total of acres grown alone for all purposes appears to be about 46 per cent larger than the year 10 average three Eighty-three per cent is in the north central states Indications are that about acres will be har har- harvested harvested harvested vested for beans only 3 per cent less than the 1943 record It is still too early for conclusive production forecasts But August 1 conditions point to a crop of bush bush- els Potatoes A crop of record pro pro- proportions proportions proportions portions is indicated for 1945 some 1945 some bushels Only in 1943 and 1928 has the production of potatoes exceeded the crop now in prospect Acre yield may set a new record if expectations of 1477 bushels per acre for the United States are real real- The previous high for yield was 1396 bushels in 1943 Total indicated indi indi- indicated indicated acreage for harvest is 2845 slightly below last year and about acres less than the 43 1934 average Sweet Potatoes Fewer sweet potatoes are in view about 11 per percent percent percent cent less than the 1944 crop Acre Acre- Acreage Acreage Acreage age is down but yield per acre of bushels is expected to be the highest since 1929 Total production in prospect is bushels Sugar Beets Expansion of plant plant- plantings plantings ings to acres almost 23 per cent over 1944 carries an esti esti- estimated estimated estimated mated production of tons at atthe atthe atthe the indicated national average of tons of beets per acre Al Al- Although Although Although though the acreage is 12 per cent less than the 43 1934 average a higher than average yield per acre is expected to put total pro pro- production production production at only 7 per cent below the year 10 average Sugar Suga recovery of about tons is predicted Sugar cane Acreage for tor sugar and seed is up about 2 per cent over 1944 for a total of acres 5 per cent more than the 43 1934 average Louisiana which normal normal- normally ly accounts for about 90 per cent of the national acreage increased 1 per cent over last year and Flor Flor- Florida Florida Florida ida 13 per cent Production of sugar sugarcane sugarcane sugarcane cane for sugar and seed is indicated at tons about 12 per cent above the 1944 total tonnage Fruit Although the apple crop appears to be headed for a record low production the 1945 peach crop cropis is setting a record high with an esti esti- estimated estimated estimated mated bushels 6 per cent greater than the peak harvest of 1931 A good pear crop is also in prospect some bushels The three Pacific Coast states where about three-fourths three of the nations nation's pears are usually grown expect a record combined production of 26 bushels 11 per cent more than last year and 30 per cent above average The cherry crop is down considerably from last years year's level and the apricot pick is estimated at only about tons compared with last years year's record crop of tons A prune crop of some tons fresh basis is indicated from Washington Idaho and Ore Ore- gon Grape production appears to be bea a little above last year with an indicated indi indi- indicated indicated pick of tons of which some tons will come from California Hay Second largest hay crop ever produced in the U. U S. S is ex ex- expected expected ex- ex expected this year a total production production production tion of all aU tame and wild hay varieties vari vari- varieties varieties of about tons Only 1942 has seen more hay cut on American farms A probable 12 tons carried over from crops of previous years added to the 1945 production would provide a supply of tons Flaxseed Indications are arc that thata a flaxseed crop over half hall again as large as the average for 43 1934 will willbe willbe willbe be harvested in 1945 a total of 33 bushels This would be 44 4 per percent percent percent cent greater than the 1944 crop Nine bf of the 17 states for which flaxseed have been estimated show increases over 1944 ranging from 1 per cent in Iowa to 81 per cent in Texas In the four major flax states Minnesota North Dakota South Dakota and Montana where ap ap- approximately ap- ap approximately proximately 88 per cent of the 1945 crop will be produced the increase this thi year is 49 per cent |