The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-13
DOLLAR WHEAT ASSURED
Confident Prediction of the Seere-
tary Of Agriculture.
Mr.. Wilson Bases His Prophecy on
the Shortage of the American Crop
People Eating More Brend-Great
Foreign Demand in ProSpect-Corn
to Re Fed to Cattle and Hogs.

I'VE will have dollar wheat before che
end OF the year. is the confident predic-
tion OF Secretary OF Agriculture James
Wilson. The Secretary has been making
careful study of domestic and foreign
demand for our wheat this year, and in
/ view Of the crop estimates which his OK
perts have made he looks for rising prices
When asked fer statement OF the crop
outlook and the probable prices OF agri-
cultural products during the present year
the Secretary said:
I The outlook for good prices was never
better. We have shortage in the Amer
lean wheat crop this year which will prob
ably amount to a hundred million bushels
in all. This alone would serve to make
the present yield more valuable There
are additional reasons. however, which
incline me to believe that wheat will make
a marked advance before the end OF tha
present year. The primary cause for an
advance is the condition and outlook for
the home market
There Is unexampled prosperity
throughout the country today and the
prospects are that the present year will
be record-breaker. This has been in
staneed, perhaps, in our enormous export
OF manufactured goods of various descrip-
tions; while the trade balance is all our
way. But our home market is and will
continue to be the greatest wheat market
in the world.
This year the demand for the great
bulk of our crop is at home, and the peor
pie have the money with which to pay 10,
Whatever breadstuffs they desire Not only
viii our people be the best fed people in
the world during the present year, as they
have been in years past. but they viii
be better fed than they have ever be IN in
years past. They have plenty of money
to buy all the wheat they want for bread
and will have flour left over for cake ii
they want it,
Hard times directly effect the price OF
wheat by decreasing the demand. and al
the same time cut OF the consumption by
decreasing the buying power of the people.
For example. the consumption of wheat
and wheat flour in this country in 1894
fell to S,41 bushels ger inhabitaRt In
1896 II increased to AS. and in 1898 to
5-2l; while last year 1t increased to 595
bushels per capita. This year the con-
sumption OF wheat per capita will go above
last year. and will probably be nearer
seven thans six bushels Moreover the
farmers themselves are getting good prices
Tor all their products, and will not be
forced to stint themselves in their food
supplies and In their buying as formerly.
The shortage and increased domestic de-
mand will make foreign countries who buy
wheat pay more. and the price must adj
vance.
Then would you advise farmers who
have wheat on hand not to seIl?" Mr..
Wilson was asked
THAT. Of course. is a matter that each
man must decide for himself
Continuing Mr. Wilson stated that he
thought that there would be little or no
rise in the price of corn, on the contrary
lower prices may be expected for this
cereal. Said he:
The corn crop this year is unusually
large Perhaps there has never been a
better prospect for corn at this line of
the year in the country The large supply
will mean lower prices. When money is
plenty and prosperity is general the de-
mand is always for the higher grade of
foodstuffs. Our people will eat more wheat
bread and less corn bread than usual this
year. 1t is true that prices for both wheat
and corn may be temporarily affected by
the falling off Of the market in the East;
but this trouble can be only temporary as
the demand for flour is there, and is
steadily increasing.
1t will probably be advisable for our
farmers TO feed much OF their corn this
year to sheep, cattle. and hogs, as the
price Of meat is high and the outlook for
continuous demand for our meat product
both al home and abroad is excellent.
Germany can exclude our meat on what
ever pretext she pleases. but il she is
gcing TO feed meat to her soldiers in China
she must buy it in Chicago Moreover,
our meat is the best in the world. With
the stimulus which our foreign commerce
is getting and the introduction of our
manufactured goods into other markets
the home demand for all food products
must grow and steadily increase. More
over, We may look for an increase in the
average price of our farm products from
this time on for the same reason"