( 50 ) 



CHAPTER 4 



CROP PRODUCTION 



THE FOOD muddle is noteworthy for two things: a lack of 

 facts and a misinterpretation of the facts we have. 



On one hand the consumer hears that America is a land 

 of milk and honey, and on the other hand he hears about an 

 over-all shortage of food. Empty butcher shops and over- 

 flowing wheat bins can be cited to support either view. 



For twenty-five years the average American hasn't trou- 

 bled himself to do much thinking about his food supply. Food 

 was always available in ample quantities; the only problem 

 was to choose the type suited to one's taste and purse. To the 

 consumer, the problems of production, processing, and dis- 

 tribution of food were non-existent or at least unimportant, 

 since they solved themselves with little effort on his part. 

 The "farm problem," when it reached the consumer's ears, 

 was phrased in terms of overproduction, surpluses, and lost 

 foreign markets. We became concerned about the adequacy 

 of our food supply only when food became short. 



What Are the Facts Regarding Crop Production? 



For the consumer, a supply problem first really exists when 

 a familiar article is missing from the grocery shelves. How- 

 ever, the supply of food does not suddenly find itself upon 



