Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1918 — THE LARGEST WHEAT ACREAGE [ARTICLE]

THE LARGEST WHEAT ACREAGE

Ever Sown and Promise of Greatest Crop Ever Grown. Washington, December 16.—The (largest winter wheat crop ever grown in the history of the United States is promised by the enormous acreage sown this fall. The acreage is almost 16 per cent larger than last year’s, and totals 49,027,000 acres. A crop of 765,000,000 bushels, or 80,000,000 bushels more than the best record,, is forecast by the department of agriculture as next year’s winter wheat yield, allowing for winter killing and spring abandonment. Last year’s crop was 555,725,000 bushels; last year’s acreage, 42,301,000. The condition of the crop on December 1 was 98.5 per cent of a nonmal, compared with 79.3 a year ago, 85.7 in 1916 ancT a ten-year average of 88.2. • . The area sown to rye is 6,280,000 acres, which is 1.7 per cent more than the revised estimated area sown in the fall of 1917,

which was 6,108,000 acres. The condition of the crop on December 1 was 89.0 per cent of a normal, compared with 84.1 a year ago, 88.8 in 1916 and a tenyear average of 91.4.