The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1884-09-19
CHAP WHEAT.
HOW Will 1t Affect the Great North
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HOW Will 1T Affect the Great North
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If the pessimists are right in their opinion
that wheat-growing is overdone, that the
sources Of supply are henceforth to compete
closely for possession of a dull market, and
that consequently the decline in prices 10 to be
permanent it remains to ask how different
grain-growing regions may be affected by these
Changed conditions. Obviously an early effect
of unfavOrable prices continued for two or
three seasons will be a curtailment of acreage.
Wheat, in many parts of the country, is an un-
certain crop at best but farmers have been
tempted by high prices to devote considerable
acreage to it. The area must inevitably shrink
before depressed market. If such shrink
age should occur, where would it be found7
Calling the annual wheat product of the
United States 5O0,0O0,O0 bushels in round
numbers, we may roughly estimate the crop
OF the winter wheat growing states at $50, ,OOO,-
OOO, aud that of the spring wheat growing
states at l5O,0C0,000. Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and the New England
states grow the spring wheat, while the winter
grain s raised in more than a score of states
lying generally south of the 42d parallel.
There are many reasons why reduction in
price should more sensitively disturb the pro-
duction Of winter than Of spring wheat. The
states which grow the winter grain are largely
in the corn belt. Corn does not share in the
depression which has overtaken wheat. More
over, wheat in those states does not give large
average yield, and is always regarded rs haz-
ardous crop. The great variety of crops which
may be raised in those states makes it compar
atively easy to forego the cultivation of wheat.
In the more northern belt, on the other hand,
wheat is the principal crop, and cannot lightly
be discarded for any other product. Northern
wheat will hold the market as against southern
because it has no other alternative. But there
are better reasons than that Northern wheat
can afford to undersell southern because It has
cost less. 1t Is grown on cheap land while the
winter wheat, for the most part, is grown on
high priced lands In the spring wheat states
the crop is much more certain, and the average
yield is much higher. Minnesota and Dakota
wheat can be proftably sold at a figure which
would signify loss in Illinois or Ohio Just
what the figure is, can be stated only approxi-
mately. Mr.. Dalrymple claims that he can
raise wheat in the Red River Valley and ship 1t
to Duluth for 35 cents bushel without abso-
Lutte loss. Most Northwestern farmers would
estimate the cost of wheat good many cents
higher; but no one will for moment claim
that the cost Of northwestern wheat approaches
that OF winter wheat in the older states
But there is another circumstance in favor
of the Northwest. The changes Of the last de-
cade III milling processes has revolutionzed the
grading Of wheat, and the hard northern varie-
ties are worth an average Of eight or ten conts
a bushel more than their competitors further
south. This alone would turn the scale. The
time has now come when the spring wheat
states will rapidly augment their proportion Of
the entire product. Heretofore only little
more than one-fourth of the crop has been
grown in these upper lattitudes. The increase
Of transportation facilities which brings our
wheat into more telling competition with the
wheat of the older states is speedily to result in
a shifting Of proportions. There is much ex-
cellent wheat land in the Northwest yet to be
brought under the plow; and the present Cpl
sode Of low prices will in the end only serve to
stimulate the production of northern wheat.
The consumption Of bread is not going to fall
off; and the circumstances which discourage
southern wheat growing must by that very
token encourage northern wheat growing
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