Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1918 — WINTER WHEAT CROP IS PLACED AT 560,000,000 [ARTICLE]

WINTER WHEAT CROP IS PLACED AT 560,000,000

Washington, April B.—Winter wheat production this year will be about 560,000,000 bushels, the department of agriculture estimated today in its report showing the condition of the crop on April 1 to be 78.6 of a normal. Rye production will be about 86,000,000 bushels, its condition April 1 being 85.8 per cent, of a normal. Widespread interest centered in today’s production forecasts of this season’s winter wheat and rye crops. Winter wheat, sown last autumn on 42,170,000 acres, the largest area ever planted to that crop in the history of American agriculture, entered the winter with lowest condition of record on December 1. In its December production forecasts the department of agriculture estimated the crop would be about 540,000,000 bushels. Efforts had been made in the early fall to stimulate production by heavy planting, but weather and other conditions were averse. The government had aimed to have a crop of 672,000,0j)0 bushels of winter and relied upon farmers to plant enough spring wheat to. bring the country’s, wheat production this year to more than 1,000,000,000 bushels.