34 ANNUAL REPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



call for more breadstuffs. Reports made to the Bureau of Crop 

 Estimates in August, before the campaign for increased acreages 

 was well under way, indicated an intention on the part of farmers 

 to increase their sowing of winter wheat by about 10 per cent and 

 of rye by about 3 per cent. If these intentions are realized, it will 

 result in the planting of 44,100,000 acres of wheat and about 4,340,000 

 acres of rye. Reports received since August are to the effect that the 

 fall-sown acreage of these two crops has been increased in nearly every 

 State, although the drought in the Southwestern States and in por- 

 tions of Washington has made it impracticable fully to carry out the 

 planting program. The official estimate of the acreage of winter 

 wheat and rye will be issued on December 19 after the planting of 

 winter grains is completed in the South. Similarly, it is too early to 

 determine the percentage of germination of seed actually sown, and 

 therefore any prophecy at this time as to the actual harvest of winter 

 wheat to be expected in 1918 would be merely a guess. 



That the farmers of the Nation have generously responded to the 

 appeals for increased production, and that much has already been 

 done to insure a large supply of foods and feedstuffs, justifies no let 

 down in their activities or in those of all agricultural agencies. On 

 the contrary, even greater efforts must be put forth in the coming 

 months if we are to meet satisfactorily the domestic demands and 

 the needs of the nations with which we are associated in this struggle. 

 There must be no breakdown on the farms, no failure of foods, feed- 

 stuffs, or clothing. I can not emphasize too strongly the urgent 

 necessity of doing everything possible to bring about a still further 

 increase in the production of all essential commodities, particularly 

 of the staple crops and live stock. 



COOPERATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 



Many of the Bureaus of the Department have rendered and are 

 rendering definite assistance to the War and Navy Departments and 

 other branches of the Government in connection with war problems. 

 A few instances may be cited : 



The Bureau of Animal Industry is cooperating with the Navy 

 Department in the reinspection of meats and meat food products 

 at 27 naval stations, and 67 inspectors have been detailed for similar 

 work at the various Army camps, cantonments, forts, and other 

 places. Approximately, 50,000,000 pounds of products have been re- 

 inspected in this way. Unusual precautions also have been taken 



