Judith Gap journal., 1909-04-23
THE AGE OF WHEAT
The Day Il s. Wheat is Here and win
Probably Remain for Years.

Probably Remain for Years.
So long as mankind displays ten
dency to herd itself in cities to fill the
workshops and the mines Of the world,
SO long will there he a constantly grow
ing demand for foodstuff and although
through the opening of the lands of the
semi-arid regions of the west to settle
ment, the production will be vastly in
creased, still it will be unable to keep
up with the demand. says the Billings
Gazette. This naturally will work for
the maintainance of reasonably high
prices for fOodstuffs, especially wheat.
The market reports for several days
past have shown that so great is the
demand for wheat that prices have
reached the high level, and the best of
it all, from the standpoint Of the farm
er, is that the advance in the bread
stutfs, seems thoroughly we'll ground
ed upon the law Of supply and demand.
While it is not probable that prices
will remain at the present high figures.
it seems certain that the day of dollar
wheat is here and that the price will
not go below that figure at least for
many years to come.
From the standpoint of the cOnsum-
er, there is little to be feared in this
upward tendency of wheat. 1t has
been noticeable fact that during the
era Of low wheat prices, there never
has been Il corresponding reduction in
the price of flour in the big eastern
markets. The consumer will have but
little it any more to pay in the days
of dollar wheat then he did before,
while the farmer will receive a sum
for his product that will renumerate
him for his toll and his expenditure
of capital.
Statistics are demonstrating the
fact that because of the growing de-
velopment Of industrialism, the great
cities are steadily growing more pop
ulous. A higher standard Of living
has led to 4 greater demand for the
products of the farms and the things
which to the toiler were almost luxur-
les, are now regarded as necessities.
All this tends to add to the value Of
the farm holdings, and to increase the
revenue to the farmer.
Even with every acre of Montana
land. susceptible to cultivation, plant
ed to wheat and yielding bountifully
as Montana lands always will, the de-
mand for the cereal will not by any
means be met and the farmer who set
ties upon the vast era of the semi-arid
regions of the west, need never fear
that the time will soon come when
there will be an over production of
wheat and a corresponding reduction
in prices.
SO long as there is single mouth to
be fed; so long as single child goes
bred fastless to school in the congested
centers of population, SO long will it
be an absurlity to talk about an over
production of foodstuffs.
With the demand from abroad which
each year takes considerable prop
OrtiOn of our wheat, we are unable to
supply the demand of our own people
for wheat. and each year we are COM
PEELED to look to Argentine for GER
tain proportion of our wheat supply,
and it will not be until every acre that
can protitably be employed in wheat
culture, is producing to the utmost,
that it can be said that America can
supply itself with breadstuffs and have
anything left for the nations of Europe
who cannot, because of the denseness
of population and the meagerness Of
their land areas, dream Of raising for
themselves the f0odstuffs upon which
their people must subsist.
While it may be true that a certain
amount of the values placed upon
wheat in the great grain markets of
the nation is due to speculation, still
the figures relating to production and
consumption, demonstrate the fact
that the greater portion of the quoted
values are real and are based upon the
only law which logically may be relied
upon to fix true values; the law of
supply and demand.
Have to Come Here for Enjoyment.
The Harlowton orchestra came III
from Juf1ith Gan Wednesday morn