Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-05-07
oIsPosINe OF FARM Crops.
when to Sell and When to Hold-opin-
ions Expressed by Prairie Farmer.

When TO Sell and When to Uold-Opin-
ions Expressed by Prairie Farmer.
No positive rule can be laid down for
farmers in general, not even for any one
farmeS It is never possible TO predict
prices with certainty. Many thousands
of farmers confidently believed year
ago that corn would advance in price.
/ There are millions of bi Is Of corn
now stored which cannot al present be
sold for much, if any, more than half
the price which could have been obtain
ed months ago. In this case prompt
selling would have been wise. In the
opinion Of the writer it is wise for those
who can afford to dose TO hold the pres
ent crop of corn aud oats for higher
prices. He is much less confident that
this would be wise with wheat
The following seem as safe rules as
can be given: If a farmer is in debt or
in need of money for any legitimate
purpose, it is ordinarily safer to sell as
soon as the articles are ready for market.
The farmer in comfortable circumstances
may wisely exercise his Judgment as to
whether there is such probability of adj
vance in prices as to make it good in
vestment Of money to hold his crops.
The use he would make of the money if
he did sell it is TO be considered. If it
can profitably be invested. this is a rea-
son for prompt sales; if it would lie
idle, this might be q reason for holding.
If prices are up TO or above It's average
there should be strong reasons given be-
fore one decides to hold.
If prices are much below the average,
it is pretty certain they will advance III
the comparatively near future, but there
are marked exceptions to this rule The
course of prices for wheat or wood or
horses in recent years are striking ex-
amples of exceptions which have brought
loss to many farmers. In the case of
live stock there is much greater reason
for prompt sale than in case of grains
because the animal must be kept at con-
slant outlay for food and care.
In many cases the wisdom of selling
promptly will be determined by the
farmer having his crop ready before the
mass of his neighbors are ready 1t often
happens that the first of the new crop
harvested brings satisfactory prices.
But there are SO many farmers who are
compelled TO sell that prices generally
decline for time after the new crop
comes in. Sell before or after the rush
is good motto when it can be acted on.
An apparent contradiction to the state
ment above is sometimes found if a Civ
en- crop is noticeably short in yield. The
shortage is frequently overestimated, and
prices may be higher soon after harvest
than later on.
Large crops are almost always overes-
timated. 1t seems certain that the corn
crop of the country for this year has been
overestimated, and this is reason for
believing prices will advance. In any
neighborhood often in the experience of
, aged farmers can be found striking ex-
amples of large gains and equally large
losses from holding crops. The expert
ence of the writer has shown balance
in favor of prompt sales but he has sold
a crop direct from the harvest for which
he could have obtained twice as much
within year or two. In view of the
impracticability of predicting the future
markets, the danger of loss by shrink
| age, rats, fire, thieves or the cost of insur-
ance and the fact that he has never had
more money than he could make good
use of, he prefers sale when the product
is ready for market unless the price at
the time is exceptionally low. In the
| case of live stock he would try to have
them ready for market at times when
they would not come into competition
with the largest number.