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More oils but less animal fats
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CURRENT TOPICS.
[.[. F. I.
More and More Fertilizer.--Farmers used greater quantities of fertilizer during the war than ever before, but not more than half as much as it would pay them to use "under conditions of national prosperity." This is one of the important conclusions of State Production Adjustment Committees, as presented in a report released recently by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Published as "Cropland Use and Soil Fertility Practice in War and Peace," a section on fertilizer practices points to the sharp contrast between fertilizer use in World War I and in World War II. In the first period fertilizer consumption fell materially below the pre-war period. This was in part because of the cutting off of potash imports that had come from Germany. In World War II potash was supplied from domestic sources as well as substantial supplies of synthetic nitrogen, Measured in terms of the principal active elements and compounds necessary for plant growth, the U. S. fertilizer consumption was about 1.8 times as great in 1944 as the average in the five years before the war, says the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. The estimates of the State Production Adjustment Committees indicate that for prosperous periods the most economic supply would be nearly four times the prewar consumption and slightly more than double the 1944 consumption. The Corn Belt States have used relatively small quantities of fertilizer, but increased their use during the war. If Corn Belt farmers followed the suggestions of the State committees, that area would make the largest increase in use of fertilizer in the postwar years, and would then rank second to the Appalachian States with the Southeastern Sta~es ranking third and the Lake States fourth in fertilizer consumption. In the past the Southeast and the Appalachian States have been close tog'~ther in first and second place with the Northeast third and the Corn Belt a po~)r fourth. R. H. O. More Oils But Less Animal Fats.--More vegetable and marine oil, and somewhat smaller supplies of animal fats are in prospect for the world at large and also for the United States according to a survey of world food supplies, made when crop prospects in the northern hemisphere were fairly well evident, and published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations reports that the Philippine copra industry is moving along at a fast rate and that exports are picking up rapidly. The recent agreement of the Netherlands East Indies to sell its coconut oil to the United States indicates an increase in supplies from this important producing area. Supplies of sunflower seed oil in Argentina are larger than a year ago and larger olive oil crops are in prospect in Europe. Manchuria's soybean prospects are reported favorable, and production may run as high as 85 per cent. of average. There are some carryover stocks, but it may prove difficult to move these to seaboard, and there are exchange difficulties and political uncertainties. World butter production has declined with the expansion and consumption of other ,dairy products, the survey indicates. Lard output will be reduced as a result of fewer hogs in Canada, the United States and Argentina. R. H. O.
CURRENT TOPICS.
[.[. F. I.
More and More Fertilizer.--Farmers used greater quantities of fertilizer during the war than ever before, but not more than half as much as it would pay them to use "under conditions of national prosperity." This is one of the important conclusions of State Production Adjustment Committees, as presented in a report released recently by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Published as "Cropland Use and Soil Fertility Practice in War and Peace," a section on fertilizer practices points to the sharp contrast between fertilizer use in World War I and in World War II. In the first period fertilizer consumption fell materially below the pre-war period. This was in part because of the cutting off of potash imports that had come from Germany. In World War II potash was supplied from domestic sources as well as substantial supplies of synthetic nitrogen, Measured in terms of the principal active elements and compounds necessary for plant growth, the U. S. fertilizer consumption was about 1.8 times as great in 1944 as the average in the five years before the war, says the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. The estimates of the State Production Adjustment Committees indicate that for prosperous periods the most economic supply would be nearly four times the prewar consumption and slightly more than double the 1944 consumption. The Corn Belt States have used relatively small quantities of fertilizer, but increased their use during the war. If Corn Belt farmers followed the suggestions of the State committees, that area would make the largest increase in use of fertilizer in the postwar years, and would then rank second to the Appalachian States with the Southeastern Sta~es ranking third and the Lake States fourth in fertilizer consumption. In the past the Southeast and the Appalachian States have been close tog'~ther in first and second place with the Northeast third and the Corn Belt a po~)r fourth. R. H. O. More Oils But Less Animal Fats.--More vegetable and marine oil, and somewhat smaller supplies of animal fats are in prospect for the world at large and also for the United States according to a survey of world food supplies, made when crop prospects in the northern hemisphere were fairly well evident, and published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations reports that the Philippine copra industry is moving along at a fast rate and that exports are picking up rapidly. The recent agreement of the Netherlands East Indies to sell its coconut oil to the United States indicates an increase in supplies from this important producing area. Supplies of sunflower seed oil in Argentina are larger than a year ago and larger olive oil crops are in prospect in Europe. Manchuria's soybean prospects are reported favorable, and production may run as high as 85 per cent. of average. There are some carryover stocks, but it may prove difficult to move these to seaboard, and there are exchange difficulties and political uncertainties. World butter production has declined with the expansion and consumption of other ,dairy products, the survey indicates. Lard output will be reduced as a result of fewer hogs in Canada, the United States and Argentina. R. H. O.