New-York tribune., 1894-04-13
THE Low PRICE OF WHEAT.
SOME INTERESTING AND VALUABLE IN
FORMATION.

INCREASE ~ THE NUMBER OF WHEAT CON
TRIBrTING COUNTRIES NOT A CAUSE
or TIE DECLINE IN PRICE AMERICAN
FARMERS MIST REDUCE THEIR ACRE
ACE. INCREASE THE YIELD AND
NOT BE MIsLED BY THE
suoUTERs FOR MORE MONEY"
lnY TELEGRAPH To rmnuya,
Washlnrtcn April l2-"Wlll wheat ever again be
A prcntab.e crop for export?" a correspondent OF
The Tribun, asked prominent official OF the Asr'-
cultural Department The latter answered;
'In the first place. wheat Il now and for many
years to come will be a crop which Invites coE,ps-
ttlon from countries In which farming is poor ana
land or labor abundant,y cheap. II Is essentially
crop of cheap lands or inferior tliase, or both IN
India In EGyTt and some other countries the laDor
ls cheap; IN Australasia. and heretofore In our o"n
Northwestern territory. while the labor Is hgh' th'
lands arc cheap and the farmer. MOREOVER ruin
lessy robs the soil Now in South America we
find cheap wheat lands. and compared win our
own cheap labor 50 in Southern Russia whcfe
there are comparatively cheap lands ard posit'VeV
cheap labor
another factor In reducing the price of wheat u
the advent among exporting countries OF srVeFai
which have. owing to changed conditions only re-
Gently become extensive contributors to the wheat
markets II tie world Such the countries oi
cent statement OF the words wheat supply ISSUED
by the Department of Agriculture are founi
dozen Countries contributing whose existence -
probably ignored by tho majority OF American
wheat r,scrs. and of whom little IS known even 70
American commercial men. AmonS tnsn W D.; D.;
m.nt,n especially the Caucasus. ltul'ahli. l;i.,
rlr.a. to Say nothing ~ European Turky. arhey
IN Asia Serva. P-rsia. Poland. Cr1N1 aai
Siayoni'. AMI in Africa Egypt TGl!s ani A%'Sc'la. gid
l,biI.i ~ v,,rly average of over ZOVoVD buslelf
10 tho whs al crops II the last three years. The
nsnod Is in ali about i2oooGsl ami Of this largt
nunbr ere ~. ns'ri Of whea ngurc bnn uS1,s con-
sumption per caoita IL not NOR, than dwo,f'5 5- As
inuch az "urs anu yt tnsS - n ,oio"s. In iSil
i,6 55 c.i 6nshels IN Iae. II 5000 bushels and in
lSt nc 20 op1 bushels an Of l596sNeO huSH-
els wiki probably a home consumption barely ex-
ce,dlng 100000 bushels. \ few years % ago tnr
portable surplus too Insignificant for record.
The Loalan Miller states tnat the tota4 nsureS
for Eus-.o show he shipments from tnat c9earGG
with -r.e@ quarters In January ls95' anu S'o;f% &
hibitci For February. i>9' they promised to e%-
x ,hira factor ana ono that promises 20 count
'han an the rest ln the next decade iS - De-
he Argsm'ine Republic. an Increase which promises
20 De- phenomenal According 10 the paper already
~ ~ @ ,.'' , o5 ou,rsnr, Or NJ the rae - HOO
adds The paper quoted; March ana april ship-
~ the Department OF Agrcuioure OF Argentina. re-
Gently In THIS country assured me that within ten
il nov exported by tho United states. Moreover.
Chilli Australasia. an1 The great N@rtnwest ter
rtory % British North America seem likely re 'ong
% show their ability t' suP'y Any dthc., ,aies "hch
may "rr,r 10 in" ,'r Sn,nult,s "a,itp "aa,th,,,s rho
wheat suIply W he world for the three years
nSI. & ~, sioo n, .ob and 800 90 o. bush@s
AN ample supply for the woris demand with
tho alleged undcrestlma,es OF the Department IN tae
years 1871 and 1852 II t. true THAI without
In fl.rg has Ieap
siendy dmlnuion in price but that is readily ac-
councl for by the Arse Gyail16e lncresse from
degree hui which. 10y the development IN means of
owlne T. changes In their political satus as In
bulgaria. ana from other causes have pcrma-
ncntly Iolncd III ranks Of exporting countries. ana
~ 1 ouc clear that there not sufficient ground
for tho argument so lrerY ln1ugei In by the nd
yocaes of free silver coinage that the decrease in
price ol wheat is due 10 the iemonetzaii9n u al.
ycr. Th" natural operations 81 supply ana demand
ar, aute sufficient account for the present Low.
prices and II seems clear. moreover. that with thr
new sources OF supply now @Na!Idb" thr normal In
crease I'm the worlds population and the consequent
Increase I'm the consumption Of wheat -four Will be
more than met by the Increase in supply. No
amount " hnanc!erine VIII ever bring w the farm
on the farm unless II be I'm money cheap that
purchasing power VIII make quotations worthless
the outlook cor the whSa,-grower Is black in
deed. but II surely IL not the part Of wisdom for
him 10 gnore the truth the part OF frlenIlincss
To- conceal ID from him. The situation can only be
me. ly "A general reduction IN acreage and
siderable increase in yield per acre. our farmer.
must learn to attain the Yield which prevails in the
more civilized countries Of Europe instead Of lag
giug among the more backward our pltfu thr-
bushels to the acre must be Increased to eigh-
tcen or twenty. and wheat acreage reduced from
g6.CO0,DO or 10000 acres TO NoOo0)) At eighteen
bushels t. the acre. average moro than eIual!ei
by France and greatly excerlOd 10y Great britain
ard belgium, the farmers on the cheap lands OF the
Northwest make sinall profit even with wheat
AT ~ or a bush~l. where a yield of thrtecn
bIsnrls means actual loss. In this reduction In
wheat acrcagn. the older StatcR. notably Ohio ana
Indiana which together raised nearly 10000
bushels last year. must TAX" the lead their Oppoi-
tuntes for divcrsicition being greater than those
available 10 the farmers OF Minnesota and tn.
DakOtas and the other newer States. Whatever tn.
course farmers may adopt. two things are COT
tain. First, The United States must abandon the eA-
port Of wheat countries Of inferior resources.
cheap Labor and poor farming. ari devote itself u
more profitable crops and second. tal<crlng and
pcrimcn,ing with oar fiscal system VIII never make
,yhe laufu nc trpu