The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1884-12-12
Keep Up the Wheat Acreage.

Some time ago, relying upon private infOr
nation FROM we'll informed sources, we advised
the farmers Of the Northwest that the propel
policy for them to pursue was not to determine
upon diminishing the wheat acreage fer mex
year, but to keep up to this years figures, il
they did not Increase it. It was pointe oN
that the present mAtket conditions are pre-
cisely those which are most likely to produce g
reaction in another season. II the Northwest
ern wheat grower is discouraged, the wheat
grower of Kansas, who has disposed OF his croI
for from 10 to 20 cents less per busel, is in de.
spair. The phenomenal cheapness Of wheat
and the stir made about it are argumsnts that
have reached every farnlsr! In the country. The
natural result IL to influence great many to
devote themselves to the cultivation of Other
crops. Particularly should this be true OF the
states that raise winter wheat almost exclu-
sively. They are equally well suited to va
riety OF other forms Of agricultural industry,
and whether they shall give precedence to one
crop or another is a matter to be decided each
year by the prospective profitableness of their
several products, as indicated by the state Of
the market. 1t was, therefore, reasonable to
expect that they would this ysar out down their
wheat acreage very considerably and diminish
the probable yield Of next year, with CORES
pondng favorable influence Oh prices. Now
this is exactly what is happening, as shown by
the latest advices A special telegram publish.
cd in recsnt issue of the Pioneer Press con-
tanned summary Of reports received by S. w.
Tallmadge, Of Milwaukee,, from the leading
winter wheat growing states. Tennessee, Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Maryland, MISSOURI, Kansas
area devoted to wheat as compared with that
Of last year; the falling off averaging from 10
to 33I per cent. III Ohio, Michigan and Penn
sylvana the decrease is smaller, ranging from
8 to 3 per cent. AS these states represent the
bulk Of the ewheat-producing area outside OF the
Northwest, and as they do most Of their seed
ing in the fall, these figures represent certain
and material dlminulion of production next
year.
The farmer OF the Northwest will see at a
glance that 1t is not to his interest to follow
suit. 1t is to his interest," as we have repeat
edly urged, to diversity his industry. But di-
versihcation is slow process. It requires
time 10 discover just what new processes are
adapted to the conditions which surround him,
and it requires Series Of experiments, some
OF which may he expected to result in failure.
The man who abandons wheat raising alto
gether and at once, and stakes his all on some
thing yet untried, may fiud that it would have
been better to 60 slowly, even if that involved
raising wheat for some years at present market
prices. But, on the contrary, it is very certain
that next seasons market will be more favor
able. That much is practically assured, al
though we shall carry over larger surplus
than usual. And it is hardly reasonable to
count Oh the recurrence Of season 80 uni
formly satisfactory as the last proved to be in
all the principal wheat-produc.ng countries of
the world. The Northwest occupies vantage
ground from which 1t cannot be disiodged.
The coil and climate are especially adapted to