Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-11-09
AMERICAS GIANT CROPS.

An article in October Success, EMIT
ted, What American Crops Mean 10
the World from the pen of FRANK
fayant, gives some remarkably in
lcrcsting points on the %stuppndous
revenues derived from the cereal pro-
auctions of the United States. II
says in part:
Between the two oceans we raise
onr-lifth of the worlds wheat, foul
illlhs of its corn. onc-fourth of ITS
oats. and four-fflhs of its cotton.
This harvest is the foundation of our
prosperity.
Agriculture this year will add
about four billion dollars To the coun.
tTy's wealth, and foreign customers
VIII pay ms NOT far from nine hun
died million dollars for our agricultur.
al products. shipped TO them over the
sea.
Cotton Is assuming a more and
more important position in u for
eien trade. Our southern plantations
produce all but a fifth of the cotton
ol the world and have IA monopoly of
the trade.
American railways handle about
twelve million dollars worth of grain
ii year, and n hundred million bush.
els of grain are sent every year TO the
mills of Duluth and Minneapolis.
Every summer the financial mar
kcts of the world watch with anxiety
the growth of crops. Because this
/ aAft al ~ .tAaa ..a.. .aIL.. 49,. --...
cotton and more corn than any other
country in the world. it is to the
american farms and plantations that
the eyes of the world are turned.
What England would do. and how
her people would subsist, il deprived
suddenly of her American source of
supplies, II is difficult to imagine.
1t is 10 secret in European politics
that England normally has in store
only a few weeks supply of food. and,
at times, the reserve would last only
a few days"
II is announced that all the gold in
Amerlca-the greatest hoard of prec
ious metal eve gathered in any coun
try-could not buy even one years
harvest of our corn and wheat. To
buy even one years wheat crop would
require all the gold mined in this
country in six years. During the last
three years our average yearly ex
ports have been sl,400. 200, 900. Agri
cultures share has been nearly 5000,
100000.
The wheat markets Of the world are
ruled by the American crop. Tn,
price of beef abroad is fixed in Eng
land by our corr crop. and in timo'
of famine or distress of war all na
tons turn To- America, the garden. the
orchard. the meadow. the pasture, III,
granary of the world, confident thd
she can feed and clothe the universe
il need be.
Every thrifty American farmer ant
ranchcr Is a partner in the creates
business institution on earth.
All this shows, too, what great pos
sibiliucs rest in the future for th'
; grain raisers of the wonderfully pro
ductiyc region of what is now term
ed the arid west" With the gradua
extension of the operations of the il
rlgaCion law vast areas will be made
productive and wheat and flour vii
not only find a market in Europe, bu
in Asia, shipments going east AM
west from the inter-mountain states
In some portions of Montana 1t vii
not be necessary to rely upon irriga
ton for a wheat crop. This Is PAL
ticularIy true of the mountainous reg
ions where the soil is richer and tn
rainfall of more frequent occurrence
. The Judith Basin we believe to b
one of those favored localities. YeaI
~ more wheat land is being cultiva'
ed and the product is Of the fines
milling quality, guaranteeing a read,
sale at profitable figures.
And a majority Of the wheat land
have not as yet been touched. II
estimated that there are fully 10000
acres of land in Fergus county sus
ceptible of producing wheat and Inn
may prove that this is no exaggera
ton. II all of this land should som
day be under cultivation. think wha