The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-17
-ESSSMiIAM
laily Eagle
NJ. VI. MURDOCH. Editor.
COTTONWOOD DAVIS, CORN AND
COTTON SEED.

The prophesies of c. Wood Davis, or
rather his declarations of few years
since that careful computations based
on the official statistics of the. world,
rhowed that the demand for wheat was
putrunning the supply, and that in con-
sequence the price Of that cereal must
inevitably advance in price and in
very emphasized way, may have been
little previous, but experience seems to
be proving their correctness. Many
of his estimates, figures, facts and find
Ings were set forth, by himself, through
the columns Of the Eagle, and every
body competent enough to grasp them
conceded that his conclusions were cor
rect. There seemed no getting around
the epitome published by him and
which attracted wide attention, as also
the serious consideration Of eminent
economists and Of statesmen. The
worlds wheat field had about reached
Its limitations with a rapidly increasing
consumption, and prices would not only
have to go higher but substitutes for
flour would have to be utilized to
much greater extent. Succeeding hard
times, as we all know, kept the price of
wheat down, as it did the prices of
everything else, and not few were
the puns and punches perpetrated at
the expense of the Wichita sage. But
in the mean time the worlds visible
surplus of wheat gradually disappeared
and one morning, few months since,
to the establishment of most people,
came the announcement that wheat
was going up in price several points at
every jump. 1t kept going up until
It doubled in price, reaching the old
time price Of one dollar per bushel,
which in these times is equivalent to
the purchasing power of a dollar and
half at the time of Davis prediction.
In the current number Of the Forum
our fellow citizen opens out another in
vestigation along the lines of corn and
cotton seed" Cotton seed has hit corn
hard. Mr. Davis calls attention to the
fact that while production in this coun-
try has not measurably increased, with
more corn being sent abroad, the price
has nevertheless remained depressed.
This fact he attributes to the use of
cotton seed which was formerly vast
ed. Two pounds of cotton seed are
raised for every pound of raw cotton,
and Is per cent of cotton seed is oil
From the annual crop he reckons $780,
600 900 gallons of cotton seed oil is made
and half of that is manufactured into
lard, taking the place of the product of
the corn-fed hog. The same oil is used
for filing cheese, making butterine and
adulteration of butter. Not only so, but
the oil seed meal is fed to hogs and cat
tie. In all these ways it is competing
with corn and supplanting it.
The Leavenworth Times, in an editor
ial review Of Mr.. Davis estimates and
declarations, observes that Mr.. Davis
however, cheerfully informs us that the
competition cannot go much further, as
the cotton seed supply has its limit and
it's use is about exhausted, so that corn
may begin TO recuperate. AS the Times
has often insisted the price of corn will
go up lust as soon as the latent market
for it is developed. That a beginning
has been made is seen in the increased
export Of corn to Europe and Asia.
When the countries of the world have
learned the use of corn for food, for
fodder and for various manufactures
there will be an almost unlimited con-
sumption. The convention to be held
at Chicago tomorrow will deal with
this topic, and a grand exposition of
corn preducts should be arranged at
Omaha his year. at Buffalo next year
and dill grander one at Paris in 1900"