BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTEY. 143 



the Grain Corporation of approximately 500,000 bushels of wheat 

 in the spring-wheat area. 



In the fall of 1917 the crop conditions of that year indicated that 

 there might be an emergency in the supply of seed in parts of Texas, 

 Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota, and Montana, and also in the 

 northern part of the corn belt, where frosts and early freezes dam- 

 aged corn to such an extent as to seriously reduce the available sup- 

 ply of seed corn. A long-continued drought in Texas made it appear 

 advisable for the department to provide a considerable quantity of 

 seed in order that that section's supply might be insured for the 

 1918 crop. After a careful consideration of the requirements, the 

 sum of $750,000 was expended for the purchase of seed corn, cotton, 

 sorghums, and peanuts, to be held for such needs as might develop 

 m Texas. 



The conditions affecting the sorghum-seed supply in Kansas and 

 Oklahoma threatened to cause a shortage of good seed for planting 

 purposes, and the department expended $215,000 for sorghum seed, 

 including sw^eet sorghums, grain sorghums, and Sudan grass, for the 

 purpose of supplying the needs of farmers who would have difficulty 

 in getting seed from other sources. 



In western Montana and eastern North Dakota the drought of 

 1917 was so severe as to cause almost a complete crop failure, and it 

 became evident early in the season that farmers and commercial 

 agencies would not be able to supply seed of various important 

 crops for planting in the spring of 1918. The department purchased 

 seeds of oats, barley, and flax for the general territory to the value of 

 $960,000, and shipped it to sections where it was most needed and 

 where it could be made available to farmers under the terms of the 

 law. 



• The supply of good seed corn in the northern part of the corn 

 belt was seriously reduced because of unfavorable climatic condi- 

 tions in the early fall and winter, and to assist in making adequate 

 supplies available the department expended the sum of $1,026,000 

 for the purchase and sale of seed corn to farmers for cash at cost. 

 Approximately 55,000 bushels of seed corn were sold for first plant- 

 ing, and a reserve for replanting Avas purchased, but because of very 

 favorable conditions for the germination and early growth of corn 

 only a small proportion of the reserve stock was used. 



In its war-emergency seed work the department supplied seed to 

 farmers for planting upward of 1,000,000 acres, and it is felt that 

 much good was accomplished not only in providing seed for acreage 

 that would not otherwise be planted, but in supplying good seed to 

 farmers at fair prices. 



For the war emergency seed work a total of $2,951,000 was ex- 

 pended. 



AGRONOMIC AND HORTICULTURAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



PRODUCTION OF CASTOR BEANS. 



In midsummer, 1917, as the American aircraft program developed, 

 this country was unexpectedly called upon to supply great quanti- 

 ties of castor oil for the lubrication of rotary aviation engines. It 

 was estimated tliat several million gallons of castor oil would be 



