1918.1 FIELD CEOPS. 837 



sugar supply for 1918 by curtailing consumption of refhierl sugar and by main- 

 taining and, wherever possible, extending the domestic cane and beet-sugar 

 output are fully discussed. The measures outlined may be summarized as 

 follows: The cane sugar supply may be maintained and incftMsed by extend- 

 ing cane growing to suitable lands ; by better cultural methods ; by adopting 

 a rotation system that will improve the soil ; by the improvement of cajie 

 varieties through selection and breeding; by the control of diseases and in- 

 sects; by utilizing to the best advantage the by-products (tops, leaves, bagasse, 

 and molasses), including a combination of live-stock production with cane 

 growing, thus utilizing tops and leaves for feed and increasing the supply 

 of barnyard manure ; by developing and extending the cane-sirup industry to 

 provide a substitute for refined sugar and thus conserve the supply ; by im- 

 proving the methods of making sirup so that a better and more uniform grade 

 will be produced and a wider and a more constant market obtained ; and by 

 producing raw sugar suitable for many household purposes. 



Measures recommended for maintaining and increasing the beet-sugar out- 

 put include the improvement of cultural methods ; proper methods of crop 

 rotation; a proper relation between sugar plants (beet or cane) and live stock, 

 permitting the feeding of a larger supply of by-products (tops, pulp, and mo- 

 lasses ) , and the production of a larger supply of manure ; a proper relation 

 between mill capacity and quantity of raw material produced, so that a 

 maximum mill run will be possible ; the bringing under cultivation of suitable 

 new areas not now productive, such as certain uncultivated Indian lands in 

 Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho ; the drainage of certain wet ai'eas otherwise 

 capable of producing profitable crops of beets ; the development of new systems 

 of irrigation in dry areas otherwise suited to sugar-beet culture and the exten- 

 sion of established irrigation systems in irrigated areas where sugar-beet 

 growing is or may be carried on profitably; increasing the beet acreage in 

 present beet areas by inducing more farmers to grow beets ; harvesting the 

 beets more carefully, so that there will be no waste of the sugar-containing 

 part of the beet or of its by-product; developing satisfactory seeding and liar- 

 vesting machines and other beet implements that will save labor and expense 

 in producing and handling beets ; the production of an adequate supply of high- 

 grade sugar-beet seed ; and the development of strains of sugar beets that will 

 produce a greater tonnage of beets and yield a greater percentage of sugar. 



The agricultural situation for 1918. — VII, Wheat. — More wheat is needed 

 for home use and for the Allies {U. S. Dept. Agr., Office Sec. Circ. 90 (1918), 

 pp. 32). — A general review of the wheat situation throughout the world with 

 regard to acreage, production, iind consumption is presented. The needs of 

 England, France, and Italy are especially emphasized and the necessity and 

 ability of the United States to meet these needs indicated. 



The total supply of wiieat for the year 1917-18 in this country is estimated 

 to be 699,000,000 bu. and the demand of the Allies upon the United States, 

 Australia, and India more than 200,000,000 bu. beyond that required by Brazil 

 and neutral countries and to offset the losses by sinkings. Normal ccmsumption 

 in this country, said to be at the rate of 5.3 bu. per capita, would necessitate 

 the retention of 549.000,000 bu., seed requirements of 87,000,000 bu., and stocks 

 on hand July 1, 1918, of 40,000,000 bu. These estimates lead to the conclusion 

 that the normal consumption must be reduced and that production must be 

 increased in 1918. 



The measures adopted for the conservation of wheat and the stimulation of 

 production both in this country and in Europe are outlined with particular 

 reference to winter and spring wheat acreage in the United States; the farm- 

 labor problem; important practices in wheat growing, including selection of 



