The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-17
AMERICA TO USE
ALL Her WHEAT
Secretary Wilson Declares Pro-
duction Will Soon Supply
vs. Only Home Demand.
From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Building
8 Washington. - !. :. { --..---- -. -

From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Building
+ Washington. r." |,
Washington, Sept. 17-Secretary
Wilson of the department OF agrlc9l-
ture sees in the comparatively. near 1u-
ture production OF wheat ln.th aat;o
FRY which will supply only the domestac
demand. He also predicts another shlft-l
ing of the wheat-producing center
Of the country, unless the farmers OF the
present wheat belt take warning ana
diversity their crops. ~ s. -,
"There is no danger that we Will
have to resort to Importation TO sup
plv the domestic demand during the |
coming year, said Mr.. Wilson. today. |
t'The estimated production, ACCORDING
to the reports of our agents IN the helq,
is SAC 100000 bushels. The best OH
tainahle information on consumption IS
that it is six bushels per capita. The
population Of this country is now about
eighty million, so that we can supply
the 4SO, 100000 bushels of wheat needed
to feed the people and have about
eighty million bushels for export. !,
but that surplus will soon be W1p PEI
out if immigration continues at the
present rate. Foreigners are coming
into this country at the, rate Of 100000
a year. A large majority Of them are
going to the cities. They will need
their proportion Of wheat and IN time
the supply will just about equal the de-
mand.
Acreage to Increase.
. "One would naturally conclude, that
with the supply and demand equal, I'M
portation would follow Immediately,
but I believe this threatened condition
will be met by an increase IN acreage.
With wheat at it's present price, cer-
tainly there will be an increase in acre
ago, and consequently in production,
next year. 1t will be profitable crop
for farmers who are now raising other
staples. In Iowa, for instance, the
farmers will naturally plant the crop
which will yield the most money, They
wil turn over their grass lands and
produce fair average yield of wheat
tlceG but large enough to pay.
".Of course, Canadian spring wheat
will come in greater or less quantities. as
the market conditions Justify its I'M
portation. Price alone will determine
that, in my opinion: Put Wlth Inc Inc
United States to Europe the Canadian
tries which have depended upon III
heretofore for their supply of this sta
pie. There will be loss OF the expor
business, but the farmer will have n
difficulty in disposing. Of his wheat II
local markets, so that it will be profta
Bile for him to continue to raise, wheat
- 4 "Macaroni wheat will also help t
Keep off any threatened importation sln e. o
port on the production of this year, bu
The acreage planted was greater tina
last year. This wheat is as good fo
breadmaking as either winter or sprln
lions where there is as little as tie
inches rainfall. It can be raised in tn
Western Dakotas and Montana, and TT
farmers in that portion. Of the countr
are turning their attention to 1t. Ma
qualities than other wheats: Add TT
production of this crop to that, of oth'
Wheats and you see that the danger {
Importation is far off.
8 Diversity Crops.
e. Secretary Wilson then turned to, di
cussion Of conditions in the northWes
lie repeated a warning which he n
sounded before and again urged divers
fed crops.
s "The wheatraisers of the northwe
are making a serious mistake,
said, "in not diversifying their croG
They put in wheat, and wheat on]
year after year. They begin with
average crop of twenty bushels to t
acre. This drops to eighteen, to +
teen, to twelve, to ten bushels per ac
and even lower. But they continue
put in wheat, and now the land is co
pletely exhausted. 1t fails to affo
nutriment to the growing grain. L
grain is not robust and healthy, is
able to resist rust and the various d
eases which attack it. Consequen
there comes crop failure.
s. "The conditions prevailing in M
nesota and the Dakotas today are
same as the farmers of Iowa had
contend with forty years ago. We b
rust in our wheat in 1857. Then wht
failed to be a paying crop. The far
lers turned to other crops. They beg
raising corn, but adopted a differt
method. They found that corn CO.
a not be raised successfully on the sa
land more than two years in SUGGEST
The third year grass was raised. Da
cattle were put in to Craze in tn
fields What was the result7 Iowa
now the greatest corn-producing st
in the union. 1t is also one of the lie
ing dairy states The corn-fed b
bring better returns than. putting
corn itself on the market
minnesota and Dakota farm
must stop planting wheat on the sa
land year after year, or they will
themselves in worse plight than
Iowa farmers. They must rotate CT
plant wheat two seasons in sue
sion, then turn the fields over to 81
for season or two. They will
that it will pay in the end, altho
present income might be reduced SO
what
The secretary would not express
opinion as to the present prices or OF
condition Of the wheat market.
H. G. Steven