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     But little needs to be said of the importance of keeping production at its maximum. As the months of the war go by, we are realizing as never before the part the American farmer must play in answering the world's hunger cry.

     We are now carrying a considerable handicap as a result of the heaviest loss to the winter wheat crop in 1917 which has occurred in recent years. The total wheat crop harvested in the United States the past year was about 650 million bushels. This is the smallest crop grown since 1911 and only 81 per cent of the 1911-15 five year average.

     For 1918 the wheat crop goal has been set at one billion bushels. To accomplish this end according to the figures of the Bureau of Crop Extimates (sic), 47 1/3 million acres of winter wheat should have been seeded last fall. The estimated amount seeded is 42,170,000. This is about 11 per cent short of the goal set, but a creditable showing never-the less, as it is the largest winter wheat acreage ever seeded. It was put in also with weather conditions generally unfavorable and with a decided scarcity of labor.

     Unfortunately the condition of this crop at the present time is low. December 1st, the estimate was 79.3 per cent of normal; the ten year average for the saame (sic) date is 89.3 per cent. In Nebraska, the December 1 condition is given as 83 per cent, as compared with a ten-year average of 91 per cent. These conditions may of course change materially for better or worse as later weather conditions are favorable or unfavorable. It is not at all improbable, however, that a considerable winter wheat acreage will have to be reseeded to other crops in the spring.

     In order that every acre be made as efficient as possible; that there be the least possible number of idle acres, and in order that the contributions made to the world's need be most effective, it behooves each one of us to take serious thot of the kind of crops to plant, and the amount of labor involved in their production.

     Under normal conditions the laws of supply and demand operate to maintain a proper balance in the porduction (sic) of various crops. That is, overproduction of any crop reacts upon the price and discourages

planting the succeeding year. Conversely a shortage in any commodity stimulates its price and production is increased.

     In the present era of price control and universal shortage of all staples the laws of supply and demand operate to a less degree or not at all.

     Broadly speaking, climatic limitations and soil adaptations at all times play a leading part in crop determinations. Through these agencies the Mississippi valley has come to remain the corn field of the world; thus corn has been crowned king in Nebraska, and wheat excells in Kansas; likewise in Colorado being put on the map in bean production.

     Mother Nature in her wisdom did not make all of the land corn land, or rice land; neither did she make all climates to smile upon oranges. Her lines are not fixed, however. Happily about enough space fertility, warmth, and rainfall were somewhere provided for man's use in working out the problems for his needs. His task now as a farmer is to consider what, under his particular and peculiar conditions he can grow the most of, the best and the easiest.

     We are past the age where every man must produce at home all of the things he needs. Specialization of course has its evils. We are all agreed that it is better for a Nebraska farmer to grow his own vegetables than it is to ship them in from Texas. It is better for him also to cure some of his own meat than to ship all of his hogs to distant markets and then ship the meat hack again. Diversification is essential, in order that crops may he properly rotated; in order that chances of total failure may be reduced in case the season proves to be particularly unfavorable to certain crops; and in order that labor may be properly distributed. The gardening program of the past season was a most commendable thing because the time devoted to it was nearly all spare time and much of it would otherwise have been wasted.

     The point upon which emphasis should be laid at this time is that we should not at the expense of those crops which we can grow safest and easiest, waste time attempting to grow untried crops, or crops which can more easily be grown somewhere else. The Nebraska farmer knows he can grow corn. A good many of us attempted last year to grow beans. The effort was not altogether fruitless; but inexperience in handling the crop, labor troubles which were little thot of at planting time, etc., caused us a good deal of worry. It is likely that the same amount of effort expended in growing corn would have made a larger contribution to the world's food supply.

     We can deal the most effective blow with the weapon with which we are most familiar. When David of Old went forth to meet the Philistine giant, he refused King Saul's proferred (sic) armor and held fast to his humble but familiar slingshot. So in the present emergency we Nebraska farmers will he able to contribute the most to the world's need by growing the things with which we are most familiar.

     I want now to discuss several crops somewhat more specifically. Little needs to be said of wheat. We are already committed to the policy of growing all of it we can. On account of its high food value and excellent keeping qualities no other crop compares with it for export. It is not our leading crop in Nebraska, but in the present emergency, it is regarded as the key crop and all others should in a measure be regarded as supplemental to it. In order to reach the goal of one million bushels, it will require a considerable increase over the normal planting of spring wheat to make up for the shortage of the winter wheat quota.

Corn and wheat. Nebraska's two most important grain crops

     There are four additional crops of which we wish to make mention. These are corn, rye, potatoes and soy beans. Three of these need no introduction. The fourth is less familiar.

     In discussing these and pointing out the reasons why they may be regarded as emergency or special purpose crops, I wish to call your attention to a table of comparative food values compiled by Cooper and Spillman of the United States Department of Agriculture and published in Farmers' Bulletin No. 877.

     The yields given are somewhat higher than the Nebraska averages but for comparative purposes this is not of great importance.

     Taking up first the discussion of corn, it is noted that this crop is in a class by itself in the number of calories, or heat energy units produced. per acre. Also that in, an ordinary acre of corn more digestible protein is produced than from an ordinaryy (sic) acre of any other crop except soy beans or beans.

     Corn is our leading crop in Nebraska and it is unlikely that this place will soon if ever be challenged by another. Years of time and

much money have been spent in its study and improvement. The results of this effort are hard to measure. There is no doubt, however, but that we have traveled far along the road of progress, and yet as this year's seed situation proves, some very fundamental things are as yet unborn or at least unapplied. I hope that every man and every organization which has ever had an interest in this crop will now revive and keep up that interest. I was pleased to note that the Corn Improvers Association program this year contained rather more discussion of the crop whose name it bears, than in some previous years.

      Considering its great value as a food and food crop; the ease with which, by the use of our improved machinery, large acreages can be cared for with a small amount of labor; its adaptation to our conditions of climate and soil; and its value in the rotation, corn outranks all other crops in supplying the home demand and in releasing wheat for those depending upon us across the sea.

      Rye is a crop to which in the present emergency we can afford to give more serious attention. By referring to the table it is noted that rye excells wheat by a slight amount, both in Calories, and digestible protein produced per acre. Wheat of course makes a lighter loaf and to most of us it is more palatable. In times like the present, however, we cannot afford to be too discriminating. If by its use we can save wheat we are doing good to others and doing ourselves no harm.

      Wheat and rye yields under normal Nebraska conditions are about the same. Wheat almost universally commands a higher price. The chief value of rye lies in its extreme hardiness. The farmer who seeds a patch of rye has one pretty safe bet.

      We were beginning to think, until the experience of the past year showed us the error of the conclusion, that our winter wheat had become almost as hardy as rye. I am less familiar with conditions in the eastern part of the state, but in western and central Nebraska where only about 20 per cent of the wheat survived the past winter, the loss of rye was not more than 10 to 15 per cent. According to the December United States Crop Report the rye acreage seeded in the fall of 1917 exceeded that of 1916 by 36 per cent. In North Dakota the acreage was more than doubled. In Nebraska it was increased but 13 per cent, and the total rye acreage amounts to but 7 per cent of the winter wheat acreage. Should the war be prolonged over another year, and there seems to be little upon which to base a hope to the contrary, we would advocate a greater rye acreage for the fall of 1918.

POTATOES

      I wish merely to touch on the subject of potatoes. A 100 bushel crop of potatoes furnishes slightly over one-half the digestable protein

     

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