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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Legislative Appropriations — Concluded. 



Object for which appkopriated. 



Bounties to agricultural societies, 



Bounties on poultry, 



Premiums to children and youths, 



Special exhibitions 



Special: — 



White pine blister rust, 



White pine blister rust damages. 



Appropriation. 



Used. 



$28,000 00 

 3,130 00 

 2,000 00 

 2,000 00 



23,423 82 

 8,000 00 



S240,800 51 



$27,873 19 

 1,661 50 

 1,968 64 

 1,997 08 



14,418 67 

 6,144 35 



5223,207 47 



Looking Ahead. 



To attempt to predict agricultural conditions in 1919 is 

 almost as futile as to attempt to predict the weather for the 

 same period, but certain facts w^hich always affect agricultural 

 conditions must be taken into consideration. 



Generally speaking, a period of high prices is follow^ed by a 

 lower level, due largely to an overproduction or poor distribu- 

 tion of some crop or crops. The government guarantee of a 

 fixed price on wheat is the only thing which can save lower 

 prices for this crop, while the other great cereals with no 

 guarantee are bound to come down. In our own State the 

 same is certain to be true of tobacco and apples. On the other 

 hand, those crops which have sold below a profitable price will 

 have a tendency upward, as there will be restricted planting 

 until prices begin to come back. Farmers as a rule plant 

 blindly, without the least knowledge of conditions around them 

 or in the country. Just because onions sold very high in 1917 

 there has been a tendency to overplant during the past two 

 seasons, not alone in this State but in all the onion sections. 

 So, also, with market-garden crops, with a consequent lowering 

 of the price. 



The other big factor in the agriculture of another year is the 

 labor situation. There can be little doubt that the labor 

 market will be much easier than it has been for the past three 

 years. The release of many soldiers and the closing of many 



