| Show Agricultural Tools Rationing Ration ng Called Off I But War Demand Will mill Limit the Supply Big Increase in Parts However Will Be Available The farmers of America are continuing as usual to do a magnificent job of producing foodstuffs In 1944 for the eighth successive year they produced a record food total despite a steadily dwindling manpower supply that reached its lowest point in 35 years Agricultural tools are arc no longer rationed but that doesn't mean that the farmer though he has the mon money mon mon- money ey is going to be able to get that new tractor or combine he wishes so he can improve on 01 the production production tion miracle he has already I Its It's the same old trouble weve we've had since Pearl Harbor Theres There's a I war on Manufacture of farm ma ma- machinery machinery machinery chinery although recognized as an essential civilian must program has to be balanced in relation to di direct di di- direct war production Here lIere is the way the govern govern- government government government ment sums up the situation During the 1915 crop year it is expected that American farmers will nill obtain approximately the same amount of new farm ma ma- chinery and attachments as they did in 1944 t. There will be however how how- however however ever nearly more in repair parts In other words there is still not enough new farm machinery to go around Farmers in many cases I are going to nave have have to conserve and repair and get along the best they can with what they have rather than han buy new replacements Approximately 90 per cent of the new farm machines except trac trac- tracers tractors tractors tors ers that will be made in the United States during the 1945 production year July 1 1944 to June 30 30 1945 will be available to American farm farm- farmers ers About 10 per cent will go abroad approximately abroad approximately 7 per cent in commercial exports and 3 per cent through Lend-Lease Lend according to the foreign Economic administration Lend leased Lend leased farm machines that totaled only 25 per cent of the en- en enire entire entire tire ire production of U. U S. S farm ma ma- machinery machinery machinery chinery from the start of the Lend- Lend lease ease program from March 1941 to June 1944 had to be sent abroad to o step up food production for our boys fighting overseas This farm machinery export not only helped to feed our boys but saved ur ur- urgently urgently ur- ur urgently gently needed shipping space for munitions instead of ot thousands of j i tons of food grown on the wrong I Iside side of the ocean The chief recipients recipients recipients I of Lend leased farm machines have lave been Australia New Zealand and the British Isles the latter hav- hav I i fir 6 n na I II I Iy a 6 A i NI f Hay Day y Baler Saves Labor g 3 Y w b br r IX 4 w I A Potato Digger That Handles Two Rows at a Time ing supplied 20 per cent of thc food the food eaten by American troops stationed there Australia has supplied near near- nearly nearly nearly ly all aU the food for American troops in the South Pacific 1914 15 t 1913 1 Schedule B Actual Production Planned ITEM ITEI 19 10 44 31 13 6 14 Tractors Corn pickers Mowers lowers Rakes side delivery Ray Hay loaders r up up balers j 2047 20 Grain drills plain and fertilizer 18 Manure 1 spreaders 10 Disc harrows Irrigation pumps turbine 4 Moldboard plows tractor 1 One to three bottom Four and five bottom 25 2599 9 2066 Tractor mounted Two bottom way One disc plows Deep and shallow well 2 Combines Milking machines Cream separators Tractor mounted cultivators One row horse drawn cultivators Planters horse and tractor Planters tractor 1416 Planters potato Includes production carried over from Limitation Order L plus aU all production from appeals and supplemental authorizations CD 0 Production through September 30 1911 American farmers will be able to obtain no more new tractors side delivery rakes combines or other I haying and harvesting machinery ii 0 j y A o a. a SK Yd k Cultivating Corn Four Rows at a Time Saves Labor during the 1945 crop year than dur dur- during during ing the 1944 crop year Considering the types of machines in use on American farms the re re- replacements replacements replacement's replacements replacement's placements placement's required and the crop shifts necessitated by war war current farm machinery program continues to emphasize the manu manu- manufacture manufacture manufacture facture of such saving labor-saving machin machin- machinery ery as corn pickers side delivery rakes and pickup hay balers WF A however has requested the manu manu- manufacture manufacture manufacture facture for the 1945 crop year of more planting fertilizing and tillage equipment than for 1944 Included are such items of farm equipment as corn and cotton planters listers potato planters beet and bean drills seeders fertilizer distributors distributors tors tractor plows and cultivators disc harrows walking cultivators and rotary hoes During the war manufacture of farm machinery although recognized recognized recognized as an essential civilian must program has had to be balanced in relation to direct war production When the United States entered the war production of farm machin machin- machinery machinery ery was sharply curtailed because munitions production had become an exacting demand on this country's supply of ot steel The steel as well TRACTOR PRODUCTION For the Period July 1 1943 19 to July 31 1941 Non Non- W. W A Canada FEA Army l Navy Farm Total Special purpose under 30 h. h p. p 2873 19 1749 Special purpose 30 and over 66 15 2066 All purpose under 30 h. h p. p 45 1846 18 All purpose 30 and over 1209 2023 1 14 1 20 Garden tractors 1470 89 8 I 1988 88 5 19 as cast iron rubber zinc copper that had gone into farm machines in war pre-war days had to be diverted to make tanks military milita trucks landing craft guns and other war goods In 1939 American farmers were able to buy new trac trac- tors But that was a year when this country made only 2141 planes In the calendar year of 1943 19 when American farmers were able to buy a mere new tractors the United States manufactured more than planes planes mainly mainly for fox war The critical shortage of raw ma ma- materials materials materials that put a ceiling on manu manu- manufacture manufacture facture of new farm machines in 1942 has been superseded by a short short- shortage shortage shortage age of manpower and components During the first quarter of the 1945 farm farm- machinery production year manufacture of new machinery machinery machinery-ex- ex exclusive elusive of wheel tractors repair parts and attachments attachments was was approximately approximately approximately 25 per cent behind sched sched- ule This lag in production was caused by manpower shortages and the dif dU difficulty difficulty in obtaining components chiefly malleable and gray iron cast cast- ings In the Middle West where most of American farm machinery is made the labor supply is made inadequate quate a condition that will not change while war goods are still ur urgently urgently gently needed One concern that before the war made approximately 35 per cent of American farm ma ma- chines reported in October 1944 that by March 1945 it would probably probably ably be short workers needed to keep production up to schedule In effect during the war this country has asked its farmers to raise more crops with less men mento mento mento to do the work to keep their farm equipment in working or or- order order order der somehow without counting too heavily on replacements and to share their machines with other farmers whenever and wherever possible To help farmers keep their ma ma- machines machines chines going manufacture of repair re air parts and attachments has been in in- increased increased creased considerably In 1944 the scheduled production of repair parts and attachments amounted to ap ap- approximately approximately proximately per cent of the to to- total total total tal farm machinery output as com com- compared compared pared with 14 per cent in 1940 Twenty one per cent more farm commodities were produced in 1944 than in 1940 with 5 per cent fewer workers The annual employment on Amer American ican farms decreased from in 1940 to in 1944 Ap Ap- Approximately Approximately Ap- Ap Approximately proximately workers have I left agriculture for war industries or the armed forces Approximately farm men had entered the military service up to January 1 1945 American farmers have been getting more use out of individual ual farm machines during the war The exchange and co co- cooperative cooperative co- co cooperative operative use se of some machines such as tractors and combines has increased markedly One corn picker for example might be used to harvest as much as 1200 acres of corn com in a year Combines have been hauled a thousand miles mUes to harvest crops on farms in county after county |
