The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-02-23


|DfvERslFIRD WHEAT TAoUoATo.
Just now there Is q hue and cry by
the papers, little and big, diversity
crops!" "too much wheat" lover
production has run down the price of
wheat"
So far as the little papers are con.
cerned they are mostly following the
lead Of the larger ones in the outcry.
The big papers say there is an over
production. They say this ~ what has
brought down the price and the little
papers which are away from the great
markets and have no means Of know.
Ing the actual facts, echo what the
city dailies say.
We arc getting suspicious of these
wheat yells. They sound very much
like those that echo from the wheat
pit. A year ago the word came,
" Farmers hold your wheat!" We
all know now how VIC were fooled {;
newspapers and farmers both. Are
we certain this present sound is not
the roaring of the "bulls Of the wheat
pit"
We may be excused when we say we
don't know whether there is an over
production or. not. In fact, so far as
we have been able to observe, the real,
actual amount Of the yearly wheat
product is not agreed upon by those
who are supposed to have the best
facilities for information. The re-
ports of the Government are derided
by the grain dealers, and the wheat
gamblers business is really betting
that they know m,re about the
visible supply" than anybody else.
Personally, We believe that there are
enough people in the world to eat all
the bread that is grown, but we think
that there are a great many millions
who have no money to buy. We think
that in this once prosperous country
OF ours, people are buying less bread
this year than they have for many
years past, because they have less
money to spend. We think that calico
and cotton at four or five cents u yard
as 1t has been selling for several years
past. and other manufactured articles
likewise dropping in price during the
same time, has had It's effect on the
price Of wheat, because, notwithstand-
ing the medium Of money. trade is
after all finally reduced to the basis of
barter. There are many other things
like these in the course of trade that
affect the price Of wheat besides cover.
production"
A remarkable contrast in prices
during the last year has been the re.
lativc price between corn and wheat.
Corn and corn products, pork, ETC.,
have been away up, while the other
great food product, wheat. has been
away down. II it was simply a ques-
tion of enough to eat why do not
people leave the 'high-priccd corn and
pork for flour-brcad. There was no
shortage ON the corn products. Why
did not the mutual markets for food
sympathisc with each other. There's
nobody knows but the Board of Trade
gamblers and they don't tell us.
AS we remarked, we don't know
much about over-prUduction, aud have
only mentioned these things to show
our ignorance and our doubts, but
there are good reasons other than
'overproduction" for diversifying.
Every farmer knows these reasons
better than we can tell him. Our
observation and assessors statistics
show that our farmers are diversifying
and, as a rule, as rapidly as circum-
stances will permit. This Is, and
always will be, distinctly wheat
country. 1t will always be the main
crop, but, II for no other reason, the
farmer should not put all his eggs in
one basket. But it takes time and
money to diversity in the way of stock.
The market for stock has not been
very encouraging in the past. Only a
small quantity can be kept or raised
by the wheat farmer.
But still, all farmers should and can
raise their own beef, pork, butter,
vegetables, eggs, ETC.. and have some
to sell. From these he can have the
great bulk of his food, and from the
surplus can mostly buy the few grocer
les and what clothing is necessary, so
that when wheat is only ~ cents he
can still live in comfort and indcpend-
ence even If he doesn't have much
money.
When everybody else buys young
pigs Or cattle, plants barley, or oats, or
goes into any special line of farming,
it is good rule to keep away from
that line. So IL everybody else is 60
ing to diversity" it will be a good
idea for our farmers to put in lots Of
wheat.
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