The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-04
INSPECT WHEAT CROP
B. w. Snow of Chicago, Crop
Expert Takes in Kansas.
REVIEWS GRAIN SHORTAGE
Says Kansas Farmers Can
Command Their Own Price.

Mr.. B. w Snow, editor Of the Orang
Judd Farmer Of Chicago, who is freel!
quoted in commercial circles as a crol
expert, is looking over crop condition
IN Kansas. He was seen at the Care!
last night by reporter for the Eagle
He said:
kansas is highly favored this year
Her wheat crop, one Of the most magnifi
cent ever gathered in any country, IS II
the shock; her oats crop is assured; hel
hay product is made and surpasses al
records and her corn, while Of course
not yet assured, is as promising as eVel
known at this date She is the garden
SPOT of the country this year and hel
farmers have before them the most
prosperous year in her history. Not only
i, have they splendid crops, but conditions
are such that every crop will bring hlgh
prices.
THE wheat crop of the United States
is q failure in some of the principal cent
ers of production, and only in Kansas
Oklahoma and Texas is it up to an
average. I have just spent month
travelling carefully all over the spring
wheat section Of the northwest, covering
II thoroughly from Winnipeg TO Sioux
Falls, and Minneapolis to Bismarck. the
erop failure here is the most complete
over known, as bad as anything ever ex-
perfenced in Kansas in her most I'M
fortunate years. The great Red river val
lev that never knew a failure, wont grow
seed and bread for her farmers. Last
year Minnesota and the DakOtas grew
200 eco bushels This year they have
less than q, 100000, and great elevator
lines with stations all over this territory
will not open their houses this year
In the winter wheat states of Ohio,
Michigan, Indiana and the better part Of
Illinois conditions almost equally bad
prevail Ohio and Indiana will not get
two bushels for each bushel of seed plant
ed New York, PENNSYLVANIA and on the
Pacific coast, and California are produc-
ing less than last year. The total crop
last year was fully 69o,00)0OO bushels;
this year it will not much exceed 500,Go9,-
600. if indeed, il reaches that figure.
"A statement from the Cincinnati
Price Current which seems to be making
the rounds of the rural press is mis.ead-
ing and calculated 10 lead Kansas farm
ers to undervalue their crops. 1t purports
TO show that our consumption and distri-
BURTON during the past twelve months
was SOC, 0O.OO0 bushels, and estimates that
as we carry over from 75.0000 900 to 100
100000 bushels of old wheat our supply
this year will enable US to meet similar
consuulptive and export demands this
in ct o.
ment. First, it overesdmates this years
crop by 100000 bushels; and, second, in
order to furnish the 6OC,O9o 600 wanted, it
assumes that we can sweep bins absO-
Iutely clean. leaving this country with
out busheI to carry over next year.
Such a clean sweep could not be made,
no matter what price wheat went 10, and
it may be written down that in order
TO get enough wheat this year for even
a moderate export demand a price moro
TEMPTING than any yet reached Will be
necessary.
mot only is the crop OF the United
States short, but the worlds crop is
small The hest grain trade authorities
declare that France, United Kingdom,
Italy, India. Russia and other producers
are shorl of last year by 10000 600 bush
els. Add to this 10o0O0,000 for this coun-
try and 20.OJ00)0 for Canada, and we
have q worlds shortage of nearly, or
quite 10 Per cent.
''The Kansas wheat grower this year
occupies a commanding position. He has
the only extra crop grown in the world
this year, and he may within reasonable
limits, fix his own price. The great part
of the export wheat must come from his
fields and in addition he has a new and
insistent customer. The millers of the
northwest grind each year 105, 900 bush
els. and 2o.0o0O00 are required for use on
the farm for seed and bread. The total
supply M there this year VIII fall short
of this by 100000 TO 4000000 bushels
and either these mills must shut down or
else come to Kansas for her hard winter
wheat-the only substitute for their hard
spring.
ITO use the words of one of the men
who must buy wheat in Kansas to
keep his mill going: The Kansas farmer
has the world by the tail this year If
ne markets his crop wisely. stacking it
if he has not granary room and threshinE
at his ieasure, every bushel Of his crop
will be worth 30 cents to 81 at least"
Mr. Snow says also that his ooserva-
ton shows the hay crop OF the country
much smaller than last year, but that
corn. at this time. promises 4 large crop.
He believes, however, that corn Will also
bring good prices.
M snow Will leave this morning for
the western part Of the state, but VIII
return in a few days.