Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-15
to coffee. which is now very low In price
and is likely to remain so indefinitely be-
cause .of unusually large crops.
Ia~.o.4 H..>- - a.>...

Largest crop OF GRAIN.
These increases are partly due to high
er prices. as well a. to larger quantities.
The crop returns show that 1909 has been
a banner year everywhere. The largest
crop Of grain ever reaped in the history
of the world was gathered this fall on
both hemispheres. The total harvest of
the wheat-growing countries OF Europe
measures 15S.618.OO0 bushels beyond the
which was the highest previous record. by
=, 10000 bushels. The excess Of the
worlds crop is 7I7l2.Ooo bushels over
1908. which had the previous record.
Russia,s harvest exceeds the highest
bushels. and Canada's exceeds the high
est records by 24.000.OOO bushels.
The total wheat crop for the world is
3,S48.9 600 bushels. an increase OF 9.46
per cent over 1908, when the total was
1908 $50. 900. and 35 per cent over 1905,
which was 1925. 76S. 600. and the banner
crop of all history until now.
The actual gain of the recent wheat
crop over 1908 is 2S3. 6SS. 900 bushels. and
that over the banner crop OF 1906 Is 120,-
$4,000 bushels
Owing to tho large falling off in the
exports OF wheat from the United States.
because of the demand for local con
sumption. the Argentine Republic has
stepped forward into the first place In
the list OF wheat-selling nations, and has
exported this year 1O9, 600. GOO bushels, in
comparison with 1OO.COO,l 100 from the
"Get Back to the Farms
British consumers will have to depend
upon the Argentine Republic for the
greater part OF their food hereafter ow-
ing to the fact that the farmers Of the
United States are not increasing their
volume of production as rapidly as the
demand for local consumption. James
J. Hill, president Of the Great Northern
| railroad. recently made this very clear.
He asserts that the margin between food
production and consumption in the United
States has gradually become narrow
that there is cause for alarm lest we may
| find 1t necessary to import agricultural
products from other countries.
| ut Is a matter to be seriously consd-
ered.'' said Mr. HILL THE increase n
the price of wheat. corn, beef, pork and
| other food products is a danger signal
and II is due simply to the narrowing
! margin between demand and supply. Ou4
present balance Of trade is an indica-
ton that the margin between production
and consumption Is becoming SO close as
| to threaten the permanent prosperity Of
our people. When a man uses everything
he makes in his own family and has
| nothing to sell to his neighbor. he can
not get ahead. The same Is true Of a
| nation. 4 comparison OF the figures OF
ten years ago and those OF today show
| that our enormous surplus for sale to
| foreign countries at that time has grad
ually dwindled away. We are not ex-
porting foodstufYs as We were. We are
eating them ourselves. and that is q
warning to the people to get back to the
| farms, and raise more wheat and corn.
cattle and hogs. eggs AID poultry and
other food supplies for the European
nations which have been, until now, the
source of our prosperity and must always
be So.
Prominence of Argentina.
! The London Times recently called at
| tention to the fact that during the last
year England's largest supply of wheat.
corn. beef and mutton came from the
! Argentine Republic.
1.-The South American republic Is rapid
Iy changing places with the North Ameri-
can republic in supplying the United
| Kingdom with food said the Times.
'.T.c change, it is declared, is partly due
to the shortage Of meat In America and
partly to the fact that with their in
| ponulatiOn the United States