The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1908-11-19

fLAXSEED vs.. BARLEY
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From Duluth Commercial Rec
ord, May II, 190S.l

All advices so far received from the
three Northwestern states indicate
that farmers have a very decided lean
ing towards an increase in the area
seeded to barley that should result in
a materially increased crop of that
cereal. We believe any increase in
the barley area from last year will be
a mistake and farmers should give
the matter serious consideration be-
fore committing themselves to the
error
The barley crop raised in 1907 was
sufficient for requirements and had it
not been for manipulation the prices
obtained for it would have been little
If any above the average. There was
combination of causes that led to
tho abnormal prices obtained for bar
ley during the fall months of 1907,
partly natural and partly artificial.
In the first place there was an en-
tire clean up of all stocks of barley
and malt from the previous crop and
masters were anxious buyers of first
offerings. 1t will be remembered that
the autumn and early fall weather
was very unfavorable for threshing and
marketing barley and the slow move
ment resulting from this led masters
to believe that the crop would again
be insufficient. Aside from these nat
ural causes there is but little doubt
that the American Mailing company
started buying, with the first offerings,
having in mind the deliberate inten-
ton of buying as much of the crop as
possible and controlling it. Had it not
been for the financial panic of Octo-
Der it is possible they would have
been successful in carrying the deal
through and maintaining prices for
barley right up to the new crop of
1908. but they were not successful
and barley and malt can now be oil
tanned for prices 20 to Is per cent less
than prevailed last fall; in fact, there
is a cargo of Duluth barley, shipped
to Buffalo last fall, still looking for
customer
Aside from all this, however, is the
demoralized condition in which the
brewing trade finds itself and the GER
tainty that there will be decreased
demand for malt during the crop
years of 1909. Whether this de-
crease in demand will be large or
small will cut little figure, as the crop
raised last year was more than suf1i-
Gent for requirements.
A farmer, Of course, knows best the
condition of his soil and what crop it
IS best adapted to this year, but it
does seem that any land on which
barley was cultured could raise a
good crop of oats, or possibly a good
crop of aaxseed. Possibly oats will
not bring the price they did this year,
In fact, it is altogether likely they will
not. Nevertheless, there is nothing
In the situation to suggest that any
crop of oats that could be raised
would prove burdensome.
In the case of flaxseed some dissat-
1sfactlOn has arisen because of the
relatively poor prices obtained for
seed last fall as compared with wheat,
barley and oats, but that condition is
not likely to occur again this fall, and
that the natural value of fax over
wheat, for instance, is asserting itself,
shows by the relative prices of new
crop fax and new crop wheat. In the
case OF 1axseed $1.25 is bid today
MAY 14th) for September and Octo-
Der seed, as compared with 80 cents
for September wheat, thus making
the flaxseed 1914 per cent more than
wheat, and at that price it should
prove profitable crop.
AS to the new barley prices there
mas not as yet been any suggestion Of
prices for the new crop, but we are
firmly satisfied that unless some acct
dent to the barley crop occurs sc