112' GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. Pace. He could have planted it in a feed crop? 



Mr. Walker. Yes. 



Mr. Pace. If he did, you have a record of it? 



Mr. Walker. I do not know the details of the record that they 

 have in the county offices. There was a check of those farms during 

 the years of earlier programs, and, if those records have not been 

 destroyed, they are still in the county offices or in the State offices. 



Mr. Pace. Very well, proceed. 



Mr. Walker. Adjustments for abnormal weather conditions, as 

 provided for under the act, are made upon reviewing the plantings of 

 corn by years during the 10-year base period for unusually low plant- 

 ings caused by abnormal weather conditions. Such years for which 

 this has been found to be the case are then adjusted to an acreage in 

 line with what would have been planted under normal weather con- 

 ditions. 



After these adjustmen,ts for diversion and abnormal weather con- 

 ditions have been made, the 10-year average acreage data are recom- 

 puted. 



In order that such natural shifts in acreage as have taken place 

 within the 10-year base period may be duly considered in the appor- 

 tionment of the national acreage allotment among counties, the 10- 

 year average of the acreage planted to corn is adjusted for such trends. 

 This trend adjustment is effected by averaging the 10-year average so 

 computed with the average acreage of the last 3 years of the 10-year 

 period. 



In other words, that is the trend formula. 



Mr. Andresen. Are you ready noAv to make a prediction for the 

 next 10 years of weather conditions? 



Mr. Walker. No. 



Mr. Andresen. Well, according to this statement, you say the 

 average acreage over the last 10-year period; that is, the weather, the 

 growing conditions, in determining the production at least for the 

 future year of 1950, or the acreage for 1950. 



Mr. Walker. The review of the acreage planted to corn by 

 counties is made on a historical basis, not looking into the future, and 

 if it is found, as was the case of several counties in Missouri, for ex- 

 ample, where the acreage that was planted to corn was flooded by 

 the Missouri River and they could not get the land back into corn 

 during that season, an adjustment was made in those particular 

 counties. But that is historical; it is not forecasting what is going 

 to be done in the future. 



Mr. Andresen. Let me get back to you production figures for the 

 10 years, or your acreage figures, going into the 10-year period 1939- 

 48: it looks to me as if it would average around 88,000,000 acres 

 from your figures, of the acreage planted during the 10-year period. 



Mr. Walker. I do not have the figures with me; we do have the 

 information at the office. You see, those figures have to be broken 

 down by counties before averages of the commercial counties can be 

 determined. 



Mr. Andresen. No. First, the over-all acreage to be planted for 

 1950, 42,000,000 is to go to the commercial area; is that right? 



Mr. Walker. The example 1 have here applies to the 1949 corn 

 crop. 



Mr. Andresen. Yes. 



