U. S. Seed Raisers Grow Record Crops to
fc Meet Unprecedented Wartime Demands
American Producers
Must Make Up for
Imports Now Cut Off
In a remote outpost of New
Caledonia a sergeant bellows
from the door of a mess hut,
“Hey, Murphy, how about
those vegetables?”
“Coming right up, Sarge!”
And Private Murphy moves
at a fast clip from the camp
garden, laden with fresh vit
amins and minerals in the
form of sweet corn, tomatoes
and string beans for the eve
ning meal.
This scene is not as fantastic as
it sounds, even in the middle of a
war, according to the War Food ad
ministration. It’s a fact that Uncle
Sam is sending many hundreds of
tons of vegetable seeds to all parts
of the world with the armed forces.
Wherever a permanent camp Is set
up, and other factors are favorable,
fighters who otherwise would get
none of the bulky, perishable vege
tables are themselves raising the
familiar things they know and like
with seed from home.
seeds are so small, compared with
the vegetables they produce, that
they are an economical method of
exporting food via either steamer or
airplane. In European countries, for
example, as much as f*e tons of to
matoes can be raised from a single
ounce of seed. Rutabagas, another
favored vegetable there, will pro
duce as much as 500 bushels from
the seed contained In a pint jar.
The total vegetable supply, through
June, 1944, is estimated by the de
partment of agriculture at 391 mil
lion pounds. Of the allocable por
tion, (379,500,000 pounds), 73 per
cent or 277 million pounds will go
to American farmers, to Victory gar
dens—of which 22 million are
•ought this year—and to other civil
ian consumption. This is a some
what larger supply than was avail
able in 1943. Some varieties to
which gardeners are accustomed
may not answer roll call this spring,
and there will be a scarcity of cab
bage seed, but no U. S. gardener,
•ays WFA, need be without plenty
of vegetables.
Another allocation of 9,600,000
pounds or 2.5 per cent goes to Lend
Lease outlets About five million
pounds will be available to Russia,
and some four million pounds to the
United Kingdom. An additional 1.3
per cent, or about 4,450,000 pounds,
will be divided among the other Al
lied countries and liberated areas.
A total of 3,818,000 pounds, or 1
per cent, will be apportioned to U. S.
territories, the Red Cross, friendly
nations, etc, U. S. military and war
services will receive substantial
quantities.
All of these exports and shipments
total only 4.8 per cent of the total
•eed allocation. The remainder of
the allocable supply, 84 million
pounds or 22.2 per cent, will go into
what is known as "contingency re
serve,” a reserve to be used as need
arises.
Seed needs during recent years
have made increasingly large de
mands on America's domestic sup
ply. Balancing available seed
against claims to bring about a fair
division among the claimant groups,
and assisting the necessary expan
sion in vegetable seed production,
has been a part of the War Food
administration’s overall food pro
duction and distribution programs.
Seeds Came From Europe.
Small vegetable seeds were pro
duced almost entirely in continental
Europe prior to 1939. When the out
break of war cut other supply lines,
it also stopped, for example, the
importation of cabbage and cauli
flower seeds from Denmark and Hoi
Legumes such as clover are a
valuable source of nofura! nitrogens,
•s every farmer knows. More seed
will be needed for cover crops in
1944, present estimates show.
Enough seed for five tons of tomatoes Is In the little pile on the scales.
According to the department of agriculture, one ounce of seed can grow
into that much, it carefully cultivated, as is the practice In Europe.
land. Great Britain s growers, wno i
once looked to the European seed
market to answer most of their
needs, faced a serious shortage.
Seed requirements had increased in
accordance with a 50 per cent acre
age increase, while the accepted
sources of supply diminished. Rus
sia suffered a dangerous domestic
seed source loss when Germany in
vaded the Ukraine. And other areas
were in similar difficulty.
As a natural result, production of
almost the entire load of vegetable
seed for world needs was assumed
by U. S. seedsmen.
What those growers accomplished
is history, and the prospect for 1944
is for a still further increase in acre
age and in yield.
The 1943 vegetable seed harvest
was the largest in United States an
nals, latest figures showing produc
tion of 355 million pounds. This is a
91 per cent increase over the three
year (1939-41) pre-Pearl Harbor
average of 186 million pounds.
Very few American farmers grow
vegetable seeds as their only cash
crop. However, many give vegeta
ble seeds first place, particularly in
the Pacific coast states. A govern
ment survey has shown that pro
duction of 29 out of 48 seeds topped
the 1942 record harvest for a total
increase of 21 million pounds over
the 334 million pounds harvested
last year.
Beans, peas and corn accounted
for 331 million pounds of seed in
1943, 6 per cent more than the 1942
production of 313 million pounds.
The figure for small or light seeds,
such as beet, carrot and cucumber,
totaled about 24.1 million pounds last
year, 16 per cent more than the 1942
crop of 20.8 million pounds. The har
vest on these small seeds fell below
expectations due to a smaller yield
per acre for 27 of the seeds and a
total harvested acreage 16 per cent
less than was intended.
Yields Multiplied.
Phenomenal increases in acreage
yields on some seeds were recorded.
Brussels sprouts, with an increase
of 371 per cent, led the list. Other
large increases were 228 per cent
for okra, 225 per cent for mustard,
194 per cent for kale, and 172 per
cent for salsify.
Total crop production for 1943 ex
ceeded 1942 by 27 times for brussels
sprouts, 370 per cent for mustard,
358 per cent for dill, 343 per cent
for mangelwurzel, 213 per cent for
okra. 202 per cent for kale. 195 per
cent for looseleaf lettuce, 181 per
cent for Chinese cabbage, 171 per
cent for chicory, 165 per cent for
carrot, 153 per cent for onion, and
150 per cent for leek seed. Greatest
decline in total production probably
will be recorded for broccoli, cab
bage, romaine lettuce, pepper, kohl
rabi and parsnip seed.
Larger acreages of most kinds of
vegetable seed. 30 out of 48. helped
offset decreased yield per acre of a
majority of the crops. Biggest re
ductions in acre yield were reported
for cabbage. 40 per cent less than
1942; broccoli, 56 per cent; pepper,
70 per cent; parsnip, 73 per cent;
kohlrabi, pumpkin, chicory and cau
liflower, each 76 per cent less.
Total land in seeas narvestea in
1943 was 423,391 acres, with 80.824
acres covering the small or lid!'
seeds and the remainder in garde
beans, peas and corn. These figun
compare with 397,234 total acriiagi
in 1942, and 77,900 acres in the ligii
seeds.
Production of certified seed pota
toes last year set a new record, 42
per cent higher than the 1942 record
crop. The harvest totaled 29,044,801
bushels, compared with 20,491,817 ii
’42. This represents more than l
per cent of the U. S. production ol
all potatoes, and is nearly 2*6 times
the 10-year average (1932-41) of
12,619,399 bushels.
Hay and Cover Crop Seeds.
Seed for forage and cover crops
is receiving more attention than usu
al this year. The 1944 conservation
program emphasizes cover crops to
help increase production, with a con
sequent need for more seed.
Harvest of legume and grass
seeds will be encouraged in 1944 un
der the provisions of the Conserva
tion Practices Program of the Ag
ricultural Adjustment agency. Pay
ment of $3.50 for each harvested
acre will be allowed up to a maxi
mum of 25 acres on any farm. Seeds
included are legume and grass seeds
with the exception of timothy, red
top, Austrian peas, Kentucky blue
grass, cowpeas and soybeans.
The clover seed harvest, taken as
a whole, did not (are so well. Red
clover seed acreage was expanded
15 per cent, with an estimated pro
duction of 1,142.900 bushels, 11 per
cent more than the 1942 crop of
1,026,100 bushels. Acres harvested
were upped to 1,279,600, an increase
of 169,300 acres over 1942. Yield
dropped from .92 of a bushel per
acre to .89 of a bushel. Acreage
Increase was largely in Wisconsin
and Michigan.
Timothy seed, with an estimated
1,499,600 bushels, dropped 11 per
cent below the 1942 harvest of 1,678,
500 bushels of seed. The decrease
Is reported due to a smaller acreage
(394,000), since yield per acre of
3.81 bushels is only slightly less than
the 3.84 bushels for 1942 and is more
than the 1932-41 average of 3.21 bush*
els. Harvested acreage for seeds
was smaller in all Important states
except Wisconsin and Pennsylvania
but acreage cut for hay was larger
than the previous year, apparently
because of a greater need for tim
othy hay than for the seed.
More Lespedeza.
Lespedeza seed production totaled
159.920.000 pounds, a 67 per cent in
crease over the 1932-41 average of
95.564.000 pounds, but 6 per cent
smaller than the 1943 crop of 170,
500.000 pounds. A 9 per cent re
duction in yield per acre more than
offset a 3 per cent increase in plant
ed acres. Yield was only 196.5
pounds, due to summer and fall
drouth, as compared with 218.6
pounds in 1942. Total acres were
estimated at 814,000.
The harvest during the coming
season of Increased amounts of
grass and legume seeds, vegetable
seeds and of seed crops in general
is highly advisable, Bays the War
Food administration. It will raise
the national seed supply and pro
vide for increased domestic farm
production to meet expanding war
requirements for food and fiber. And
it will provide seeds to help meet
the needs of the Allies and of the
liberated countries as they are freed
from Axis control. Making as much
seed as possible available to Euro
pean farmers when that phase of the
war ends, will aid them to rehabili
tate their land so that they can grow
more food and fiber for themselves,
thereby lowering their requirements
for farm commodities from the Unit
ed States.
Supply of Grass and Clover Seed Is Extremely Low
In Face of Unusually Heavy Midwestern Requirements
Wet weather in Minnesota, which j
reduced the crop more than one
third in that state, was chiefly re
sponsible for last year’s smaller
Ulue Grass seed harvest. Production
of 1,516,000 bushels of cured seed
totaled only about one-third as much
as the 1942 crop of 4,525,000 bushels.
Nebraska and North Dakota also
showed a considerable drop in pro
duction. Recovery of 21-pound seed
from cured seed of the 1943 crop av
eraged 49.74 per cent, compared with
52.67 per cent for 1942, a difference
of about 2% pounds of clean seed
weighing 21 pounds per measured
bushel from every 100 pounds of
cured seed.
Of particular importance to the
Northern Plains states and the Corn
Belt this year will be Sudan grass
seed. Some states, such as Illinois,
Kansas, Montana, Iowa and the Da
kotas, have so far had so little rain
fall that grasses which help to hold
the topsoil will be in unusual de
mand. Sudan also provides good
grazing. Wells are reported dry in
many states, with dust already blow
ing in Iowa and Kansas. Two mil
lion pounds of Sudan seed are al
ready scheduled for import during
1944, and an increase in domestic
production is being sought by WFA.
By VIRGINIA VALE
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
JACK BENNY’S feeling that
he hadn’t been given ade
quate publicity, and that Bob
Hope and Jimmie Durante
had, brought up a reminis
i cence about Hope. Someone
said that Hope works at it—
; that, if he sees four soldiers
standing on a street corner he grabs
a pianist and does a show for them.
"Back in 1938,” said somebody else,
"Bob was doing a summer fill-in
show, and we never could find him
when we’d scheduled interviews, be
cause he’d be off somewhere doing
a benefit. He did benefits for
churches, for clubs, for everybody
who wanted him. He thought we
were crazy to expect him to spend
time on a newspaper interview when
he could be working hard, for noth
ing, for someone else.”
"Columbia Presents Corwin”
stepped right to the top with the
first broadcast; those Tuesday night
programs have broken down the re
sistance of people who say haughtily
that they never bother to listen to
any broadcasts but music. Of
course, Norman Corwin long since
NORMAN CORWIN
made radio history; he has always
had new ideas, and is a pioneer in
radio technique. He has won prac
tically all possible awards. This
series of dramatic presentations,
done with excellent actors, ought to
bring him a special one, and a host
of new listeners.
-*
Marie MacDonald’s going through
the Hollywood “streamlining" proc
ess—voice lessons, dramatic coach
ing, dancing lessons, having her hair
done a dozen different ways—pre
paratory to playing a nice part in
Hunt Stromberg’s "Guest In the
House.” Before going to Hollywood
two years ago she was soloist with
Tommy Dorsey’s band and specialty
dancer and singer at two smart
New York night clubs.
-*
Nobody can say that John Carra
dine isn’t versatile. He has the
heavy role in Wallace Beery’s new
"Gold Town." Movie goers know
him by his work in "Stagecoach,’’
"Reunion In France,’’ etc. And he’s
recently been touring In Shake
spearean repertoire!
-7T,
If you had visited a rehearsal of
CBS’ “Crime Doctor” you would
think you’d stumbled onto a bunch
of small boys playing cops and rob
bers. “Take that—bang! bang! —
you’re dead!” you hear, but it’s a
grown man saying it. It's all be
cause of the shortage of blank bul
lets and the lack of a reasonable
facsimile. There are enough car
tridges for performances, but not for
rehearsals.
-*
Connee Boswell, the Blue network
songbird, has been appointed head
of a nation-wide morale boosting or
ganization of people who have “ar
rived” despite physical handicaps.
Connee has been an infantile paral
ysis victim since childhood.
-*
Twentieth Century Fox did the
country a service when they bought
screen rights to “Winged Victory,”
the army air forces show now play
ing to packed houses in New York.
The cast of 350 goes to Hollywood
next month, starts the picture in
June. It’s a swell show, amusing,
Informative, soul-stirring. The cast
Includes a number of men who’ve
made pictures and done radio work,
as well as Corp. Layne Britton, a
former make-up man who made
up Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor,
Greta Garbo, Walter Pidgeon, and
even did his stuff on Charlie Mc
Carthy!
Fannie Brice, who once was a
star in the stage “Ziegfeld Follies,”
has been signed by Metro for its
screen version of the Follies. She
will appear in a sketch, “Sweep
stakes,” and will also do her famous
Baby Snooks routine.
-*
ODDS AND ENDS—Radio statist*
cians are trying to discover if any other
network announcer beats Milton Cross’
record; the chief heckler on “Chamber
Music Society of Lower Basin Street”
is on his 2.1 rd year as announcer . . .
Dorothy Shay has arrived—originally
appearing as guest on CBS "Carnival
she’s now a permanent member of the j
show, co-starring Alex Templeton and
Morton Gould . . . "News Front,” fifth
of ”This Is America” series, is dedi
cated to 320 war correspondents, 16 of
whom have lost their lives ... 12 years
ago George Sanders gave a piano re
cital for television; he plays and sings
in “Action in Arabia."
I
A physician about to start on a
day’s fishing trip had an early break
fast, walked to a nearby store to make
a purchase but just “didn’t feel
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
RISE IN TEMPERATURE
right. He took hi»
pulse, 108 while sit
ting, and his temper
ature, about 103. He
went back to bed,
called in his next
door neighbor, a
physician, told him
about his pulse and
temperatur* but felt
no pain or distress
anywhere in his
body.
Dr. Barton The neighbor phy
sician carefully ex
amined him but could find nothing to
cause the rise in pulse and tempera
ture. His pulse and temperature re
mained high for a week, so he re
mained in bed absolutely free of
pain or other symptoms. As tem
perature and pulse became normal
by the end of the week, he arose and
went about his work, none the worse.
Neither he nor his neighbor physi
cian ever knew what caused the
rise.
When a case with a rise in tem
perature is in hospital and cause of
rise is unknown, it is called P.U.O
meaning pyrexia (fever) of unknown
origin.
What may be the cause of some of
these cases of rise in temperature
with no apparent cause? In Clinical
Medicine, Dr. M. Pinson Neal, Co
lumbia, professor of pathology, Uni
versity of Missouri school of medi
cine, in discussing this matter says:
“What about the patient with a
fever where no cause is evident—
rash, pain, cough, diarrhoea, lungs
or other condition? Among the com
mon causes not easily recognized
are the severe type of goiter, dan
gerous growths, tuberculosis, syphi
lis, heart disease and nervous ex
haustion.”
Goiter can be recognized by means
of the metabolism test which shows
rate at which body processes are
working.
Growths can be detected by means
of X-rays and barium meal. If
growth is on skin, breast or uterus, a
small portion can be cut away and
examined under microscope.
Tuberculosis can be detected by
X-rays of chest and examination of
sputum. Syphilis can be detected by
the usual blood tests. Heart disease
may be detected by electrocardio
gram, severe pain in chest, breath
lessness.
What about nervous exhaustion?
How can this be detected? It has
been found that “there is an ever
increasing number of individuals
who are physically and possibly
mentally exhausted and living in
anxiety states who have prolonged
unexplained fever without any or
ganic disease.” Rest, relaxation, re
lief from responsibilities, and a bal
anced diet bring temperature to
normal.
• • •
Put Seasick Sailors
On Shore Duty
Recently I was reading of the
number of cases of seasickness
among officers and men of the naval
services. In Annals of Internal Med
icine, Dr. R. S Schwab reports his
examination of 115 naval personnel
with chronic seasickness severe
enough to bring them to the hospital.
He found that 50 per cent of these
men showed abnormalities of the
digestive tract. By use of the bari
um meal and X-rays, the following
conditions were discovered: (a) ir
ritability of the upper and lower
openings of the stomach, (b) in
crease in flow of stomach digestive
juice even when patient was fast
ing, (c) some increase in the num
ber of •'."olds” or creases in the
lining of the walls of the stomach,
and (d) loss of peristalsis.
A large percentage of persons who
suffer with seasickness show nerv
ousness and emotionalism.
Dr. Schwab makes the definite
statement that “a man with pro
nounced dizziness, nausea, vomiting,
headaches, with fear and discourage
ment is not as able as one who is
not so affected. This difference is
not easy to measure but it involves
alertness, skill, temper, resistance
to infection, cold, heat, and immer
sion in the sea.”
Men who suffer with chronic sea
sickness should not be allowed to en
ter the service. If already in the
service they should be given jobs
ashore if their abilities are of value
to the service. We will await with
deep interest the trial of the new
cure for seasickness discovered by
Drs. Wilder Penfleld, Montreal, and
C. H. Best, Toronto, and their asso
ciates.
QUESTION BOX
Q.—Can you give me a remedy
for a cough caused by phlegm?
A.—If cough brings up phlegm you
need a remedy to cut or loosen
phlegm. See your physician. Don’t
buy a cough medicine to stop the
cough.
• • •
Q.—What causes excessive stom
ach gas?
A.—Most cases of stomach gas are
caused by sluggish liver and gall
bladder.
V*
5520
FVEN as inexpensive a fabric as
•L< unbleached muslin can be
made into mighty attractive
aprons if you dress it up with
bright appliques. Use bright red
cotton for the cherries, green for
the leaves—it will make a lovely
apron!
To obtain complete pattern for the Cher
ry Apron (Pattern No. 5520) applique de
sign and finishing instructions, send 16
cents in coin, your name and address
and the pattern number.
Making a Slip Cover
For Favorite Chair
'T'HERE are two ways to make
a slip cover. One is to pin and
then cut the actual material right
on the chair; the other is to cut
muslin or old sheets on the chair
and then use the pieces for a pat
tern.
Whichever method is used, fit
and pin the pieces smoothly but
do not stretch them. Allow %-inch
seams and a 4-inch tuck-in around
a spring seat. Notch the seams
to show how they should be joined.
When fitting a pattern, mark each
piece with an arrow, as shown, to
indicate which way the grain of
the goods should run.
At the bottom of the sketch the pattern
pieces are shown pinned to the material.
If figured fabric is used, be sure to place
the pattern pieces so that the design is
centered for the back and the seat of the
chair.
• • •
NOTE—This illustration Is from BOOK 3
which also contains working directions and
diagrams for other types of slip covers
hi.d many illustrated Ideas for giving your
house a fresh start this spring. Price of
BOOK 3 is IS cents. Address:
MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS
Bedford Hills New York
Drawer 10
Enclose IS cents for Book No. 3.
Name ..
Address .
Temperature of Theater
Goes Up With Excitement
The emotional excitement of a
hair-raising Wild West show or a
tense love scene has been known
to raise the temperature of a thea
ter from 8 to 10 degrees. Tem
perature rises similarly in audi
toriums while following a heated
debate, an eloquent speech, or a
stirring song.
Eyesight of patrons is also be
lieved to be improved when the
film is accompanied by the stimu
lation of music.
Due to an unusually large demand and
current war conditions, slightly more time
Is required In filling orders for a few of
the most popular pattern numbers.
Send your order to:
SEWING CIRCLE NEEDLEWORK
$30 South WeUs St. Chicago.
Enclose IS cents (plus one cent to
cover cost of mailing) for Pattern
No.
Name ..
Address ..
Disputants Chained to
One Another in Ethiopia
Strange, but effective, is the
Ethiopian method of dealing with
persons attempting to escape
financial obligations. If a creditor
feels that a debtor is going to run
away before his debt is paid, the
creditor has the debtor chained to
him as a measure of safety. The
same method is applied to any
pair of disputants unable to agree
over any kind of legal question.
In Ethiopia, the court room is
generally the most convenient
street corner, and any stranger
passing by is called in to be the
judge. Often the quarreling par
ties will accept the “judge’s” de
cision. If not it’s the chains until
both of them cai. agree.
c\3V BUY ASPIRIN
that can do more for you than St. Joseph
Aspirin. Why pay more? World’s largest
seller at 10c. Demand St. .T^ph Aspirin.
Buried Erect
So that they may face the day of
resurrection on their feet, the dead
of New Guinea are buried land
ing up.
i
YEAST
/Vo /ec-fa/VeetkS/
I
I
I
,m Hear 'em Crackle/
j RICE KRIS PIES
p “The Creins are Greet Food*”—
I
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies equal the
whole ripe grain in nearly all the
protective food elements declared
essential to human nutrition.