New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-25
NO DANGER OF A WHEAT FAMINE.
SECRETARY WILSON RIDlCULEs THE
PROPHECIES OF AN ENGLISH EXPERT

Washington. SEPT "a (specaD.-sccr-tsry Wilson.
who has Just returned 10 Washington after short
rest from his duties at the head OF the Department
OF Agriculture. is inclined TO place a low value
on the recent prophecies OF Professor Crooke. the
English expert who declares the word In danger
OF a wheat famine within the next generation.
professor Crooke does not know what he IS
talking about" said the Secretary this afternoon.
He says that there no more wheat lands In
the United States and right there he shows his
complete ignorance OF the subject. l have just re-
turned from a trip through the Genesee valley,
where went expressly TO look at the lands which
wears ago grew much wheat y is all grass
land now. but could easily be made as fine wheat
country as ever. Take Iowa. for instance; in the
northwest corner the farmers raise about eight
million bushels yearly, but II they care to do IL
they could raise thirty million bushels But they
don't do for the very good reason that there is no
profit In IT, In the early days In Iowa the farmers
were new 10 the wheat question and they raised
more df It than Of anything else. but since then
they have increased their possessions by adding
live stock and now, instead OF wheat. they grow
corn oats barley and rye 10 feed their live stock.
Besides they cannot grow wheat as cheap as can
the Red River Valley farmers. where the farms
cost practically nothing. In Iowa, all through the
State / believe Il a fact that farm land If worth
$40 an acre. The same statement is true or In
diana Illinois and the other States from the
Genesee to the Red River Valley. But let wheat
sell at 50 cents "A bushel. and you would see how
quickly land now ured in growing corn and other
grains could be converted into wheat area.
Farmers ir those sections nowadays don't grow
wheat TO sell They grow It for feed. One bushel OF
wheat will make thirteen pounds OF live hog. The
United States In my opinion. ought not TO export a
dollars worth of wheat. but should send away
horses cattle hogs poultry. butter and cheese.
There's where the best prices exist for the farm
- ....,.n .,road ,,.o,,,,
40 Tor their wheat supply. They are not situated
IiLe the United States with regard 10 pOtentlal
nnwer 10 Increase the wheat supply 1hey can
grow much more than they do; II wheat crop
e. taken every year from land, in ten years its
Lower TO grow that grain Is practically ckhausted.
The soil has been stripped OF the clements LVIhs
rtcbpess Many farmers grow wheat ohIy ono" III
e',e years using the land mean time for grass
Rowing and other purposes ana so restoring us
nScbnass and productive power ..,
0In This country the Agricultural Departmenis
III 10y IL in ins.ructng farmers how TO make
,hetr Land douby and fully productive Inc chlcl
irt ~ the growth OF food products is nitrogen
rtia a. sunnlied In two ways-one through leRuilnl-
dniS and the other by deposit direct from the
o,,nasnhere AS to the latter, nltrates are toiHcu
n1,s 81 electricity lightning passing through
by Do,,n osnhere and go they fall directly on the
tne M mi an acre Of clover furnishes more huo-
10 The atmosphere over the state or IOWA as
sc' ,Tf's,,a,ion The more nitrogen IN lhe SolI he
an I'D more productive us capacity Intorles
Iich.i, az" ", etr William Crooke amount 70 nothnk
lke lh NJ nrire OF wheat that u VIII be worth
., rmers' while to grow IL. ana tneTs IN paa
me lar I limit TO the amount the United states
;icaIIy no '' grow why, Russia has Kind OF
alone, go grows forty bushels to me acre as i
WIZ deterInned by experiments ana hhe'roa e -,
nn as Vol with the same seed. t IT,, " ' 80
90 as Wv WV, eetinr data on this SUBJECT