Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-19
OODCROPSANDPRICE
PROSPERITY RAPIDLY RETURN
ING TO THE LAND.
Talk With . Distin guished Statesman
and Agricultural Expert-B. W.. Snow
Hs. Some interesting Views on Con-
ditions aud Prospects.

pehapS n poorest wheat ylelo
but her corn crop Is magnificent and
the small losses from winter killed
wheat sections do not amount to any
thing In the grand total yield.
Mr.. B. w. Snow, the ex-assistant sta
tistician of the department of agricul-
ture, who is still making a speciality
Of agricultural statistics. said. in
speaking of the great agricultural
wealth of the country at this time:
with the bountiful crops throughout
the United States not in prospect but
actually In hand, with increased and
increasing consumption at home and
a larger foreign demand for American
products and with prices on the up
grade even while the crops are still
on the farms. this year OF 1897 will
be remembered as a year of great agri-
cultural prosperity and plenty
Harvesting is so far advanced, Mr..
| Snow. that it is no longer a matter OF
estimate and conjecture as to the yield.
but in many cases you have the actual
approximate fgures?"
yes. The crop season is now so far
advanced that the final results can be
safely promised. Nevertheless the re-
suit Is no less pleasing than the carrier
prospective hopes of the most opto-
mistic. In no line OF agricultural pro-
duction Is it a light year and In %
the yields are heavy. Hay has rarely
fiourished as it has this year. The
abundant rains have given us a very
unusual crop and hay is a more m
portant crop than usually thought.
The rates of the new tariff law thor
oughly protec; our farmers in this re-
spect. The years wheat crop is the
second largest in the history of the
| country, running upwards OF 500 ,000,-
900 bushels and we'll distributed over
the country. The corn crop promises
to DC a very large one. The oat crop is
also we'll above the average. All the
minor crops are in promising form. The
fruit crop generally promises good re-
suits. But these facts of large yield
and good promise do not tell the whole
story of prosperity. Prolific crops have
been harvested before, but in some
| cases, have for want of consumption
| and demand, proven a burden rather
saying that the farmer would rather
have small crops with good prices than
large crops and no prices. But this
year come the abundant crops and high
prices, a rare combination and one
calculated to warm the cookies of the
heart of the thrifty farmer. Ptces
are high and ~inelining upward. There
Is no reason to fear a reaction and
slump because of the actual conditions
of the worlds crops. The United
States holds the key to prices. The
wheat crop of the world Is known to
be about 100, 000. 900 bushels short.
Argentina, India and Australia have
no surplus and Russia practically one
, Great Britain, France and Germany
are far short in their production of
their home demand. There was an
American surplus OF last years crop
of 70, 900, 900 bushels and the fortunate
thing is that this is in the hands of
the farmer. The advanced position of
wheat developed before the farmer had
disposed of his wheat to buyers and
now he will reap the full benefit of the
advance"
rs not the present crop larger than
was expected sometime ago, Mr..
| Snow?"
1T is, and the quality Is of the fin
est. In winter killed sections the
wheat braced up wonderfully. Fields
in Illinois whose blowing under was
contemplated early in the season have
made very fair yields and others with
a supposed small yield have shown by
| the thresher enormous returns The
actual increase in money in the hands
of the farmers through their wheat
holdings throughout the country is an
enormous sum. Wheat Is worth row
| about 20 cents a bushel more than the
crop last year and the advance for
this year has just begun. The market
will continue to rise. The Increased
value of the wheat crop Of Kansas
| alone this year in comparison with last
mounts to nearly or quite SOS, 0OO, 900,
while the increased value of the coun-
try's crop at present prices Is In ex-
cess of 500. OOO, 900 over that of last
year"
What are the corn outlooks. Mr..
Snow?"
Most gratifying. Although the sea-
son started late the yield will be
large. 1000. O00, 900 bushels is a fair
estimate as the acreage is the largest
ever planted. Every indication points
to advancing prices in corn. Last
year at this time prices were shrinking
at the prospect OF a large crop; this
year the tendency is upward. Millions
OF busfels of old corn now lie in the
cribs in the west and with rising prices
for this as well as the new crop, there
can be but one result"
"All along the line Of agricultural
| production. including all live stock,
there is a general steady increase.
Large new fiocks of sheep are con-
templated as q result OF the wool tariff
and the demand has Increased the