The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-04-01
THE OATS ACREAGE
Of UNITED STATES
During the Past Twenty Years
1t Has Shown a Steady
Decrease.
THE PRICE HAS
III. Present Acreas. Is Too Small lr
Proportion to tho Relative Demand
that Exists and the Prloes Oh.
tanned for the Crop.

During thedecade from 1880 to 1890
the oats acreage increased from TO-
l44, 900 acres to 2S,320, 900, an increase
of 76 per cent. This was he most
striking movement in agriculture dur
ing this decade. During the same time
cent. while the area devoted to wheat
actually decreased. That this enor-
mouly Increased oats crop was de-
manded Is evidenced by the fact that
both farm and commercial prices av-
eraged higher in the closing years of
the decade h in the years proceed
ing Its opening when the crop was but
halt as large.
The striking feature Of the decade
from 1890 to 1900 was the stationary
position of the oats area, increasing
barely 10000 acres in ten years. or
only I per cent, while the corn
breadth was enlarged by 80 per cent.
and wheat by Sc per cent. The land
devoted to oats at this time. when
measured either by per capita of pop
ulation or by number of animals that
than in 1890 and radically smaller
than in 1880. or in other words. Tho
oats supply when measured by the
ordinary standard Of consuming pow
er has steadily and materially de-
creased during tho past twenty years.
Tho steadily increasing practice Of
crop rotation. taught by Agricultural
approved by general experience, 10 I'M
d%oubtedly responsible for the compare
tive shrinkage Of oats creag during
the past decade. Broadly speaking.
the important oats states and the great
corn belt are co-extenslve, and In
planning for the major crop the minor
crop has become more and more an
t--I1 -..x a.. A1,1L 10. - A. --ly
for the corn crop. Consecutive crop
ping with q single grain is scarcely
practiced at all. but the old plan of a
two-yoar or at most three-year rota-
| ton has rapidly given way to longer
schemes Of rotation in which grasses
and legumes receive their turn, main
ly at the expense of the small Erains.
oats and wheat. The result is a de-
creased proportion Of the rotated area
for oats in order that corr may hold
its pre-eminent place and yet grass.
No one can eainsay tho necessity
nor the advantage Of systematic ro-
tation, ana its practice Is evidence Of
better farming and Is rewarded by bet
ter crops. but there IL unquesttoned
evidence that in the average rotation
central valleys sufficient consideration
10 not given to the oats crop from the
standpoint Of farm profits. Corn must
necessarily be the great crop in this
belt. but there will be financial loss
! for the farm as a whole II another and
| ready-money crop is unduly restricted
In area This Ia beyond question the
situation as regards oats. and the best
agricultural practice is hat which
produces crops in proportion to the de-
mand that exists for them, The press
ent acreage of oats is too small In
proportion to the relative demand that
exists and prices that obtain for the
staple crops Of the central west. and
good practice suggests a slight change
In the general rotation practiced such
as will give oats a relatively larger
area in the annual crop distribution.
The evidence to support this position
Ia ready at hand and of a character
| which the average farmer can verify
from local experience, For four years
past the oats acreage has been prac-
ttcally uniform, more so tran tn the
case OF any other staple crop, and with
the single exception Of the heavy Yield
Of 1909 the crop has been fairly uniform
In size. That 1t 10 not large enough TO
fully meet requirements Of consump-
ton Is shown by the heavily decreasing
export trade which dropped from "a
DOC, 900 bushels in 1898 to 5000, 900 bush
els in 1909, and by the marked increase
In the average selling price Of oats in
our domestic markets.
In the Chicago market the average