FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1918, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE AMERICAN HARVEST.

The official crop report, sent by wireless to the United States Consul in Melbourne, forecasts enormous yields, especially of wheat, the total of which will almost equal, and perhaps exceed, the 1015 record crop of 1,025,800,000 bushels. The condition in June of that year indicated a crop of <Jso,ooo,ooobushels.The Agricultural Department this year predicts 1131,000,00(1 bushels, and growing conditions continue ideal for a further improvement. The winter wheat forecast is 587,000,000 bushels, or 00,000,000 bushels move than was predicted on May 1. The spring wheat reports indicate a yield of Stt.OOQ.OOO bushels on V 2,4-89:1,000 acres, which is 2,000.000 acres more than in 19i7 as the result of the farmers' patriotic response to the Government'* appeals. The late wheat of 1917 amounted to 030,000,000 bushels, of which 418,000,000 bushels was winter sua bushels spring wheat. The increase is thus about 300,000,000 bushels, or nearly 50 per cent, over last year's yied, assuring America's ability to feed the Allies and the United States' armies overseas. Other crops also promise well. The rye yield promises a new record of 81,000,000 bushels, as compared with 00,000,000 bushels last year.which was the highest ou record. Barey promises to yield 235,000,000 bushels. ELECTRICITY AND AGRICULTURE According to Dr. Charles Mereie", who lias contributed the statement to the London Times, great and startling improvements in agriculture are on the point of being introduced. The improvements referred to are two, and both owe their efficacy to the application of electricity. It has been known for some time that the direct application of electricity to growing crops produces a remarkable increase of yield, but the expense of the application has rendered the method unprofitable. The journal of the British Board of Agriculture now reports that a method has been devised which overcomes this objection. This method has been very successful, experimentally, but has scarcely yet passed the experimental stage. It is, however, full of hops. The other improvement is a method of treating by electricity seed before it is sown; and this has passed the experimental stage. Farmers on a large scale who have tried it experimentally in previous seasons are now laying down plant to treat the whole of their seed corn, wheat, barley, and oats. Owing to the liberality of the Ministry of Munitions, acting at the instance of the British Board of Agriculture, installations, at which farmers can have their seed treated by experts, have been erected at several centres, and are capable of treating some 30,000 sacks per month. The. increase of yield from sec-d so treated though not. as great as the increase from electrification of the growing crops, is yet very great, ranging from 20 to as much as SO per cent. ; and I have, it is past tiie experimental stage, and ia in full operation.