The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-05-20
Wheat Prices Next Fall

Are of far more interest to the av
erage farmer than what they are
now or may be next month. The
great danger is that because prices
are high at the present time many
will SOW more wheat than they
would were they lower, and another
fall find themselves with big wheat
crop and only moderate prices
Again when wheat is forced up BY
speculation or other causes, the
whole world goes to eating little
less of it, and this little the world
over, means many millions of bush
ols. How much this sowing more
and consuming less, will affect future
prices, remains to be seen. The bull
spectators claim that the present
high values are caused by scarcity
and not by manipulation. Of course
II they are right prices will continue
to be high until big new crop
reaches the market But Secretary
Wilson, with every source of infor-
nation at his hand, declares there is
no shortage and calls attention to
the fact that in the CORNER" OF
1898, when wheat went to $1.85, by
over production and under consump-
ton prices were shortly after depres-
sed to 80 cents, less than one-half
the corner price. The Secretary be-
lieves that there is ample wheat to
bread our, people at moderate prices
until new crop grows and adds:
"'The reporters of the department
Of agriculture are farmers living on
farms and know, if anybody knows,
and have knowledge, if anybody has
knowledge of the facts.
I'VE cannot whistle these men
down the wind. If we seek an hon
est class or community and hesitate
to take the words of the American
farmers, we will not establish truth
by going to the gamblers"
To show that the scarcity of wheat
In this country is not the real cause
for the present increase in prices it
is pointed out by the Secretary that
the amount of wheat produced in the
calendar year 1906, was 634,000,000
bushels as compared with 655,0O0,0OO
bushels for the crop year 1907, max
ing fully 100000 bushels more
than for the previous year.
After calling attention to the de-
partment's report, which indicated
that the amount of wheat on farm.>
on March LIST was about 143,000,O00
bushels, in round numbers, the secre-
tary states than an analysis of the
wheat movement after March LIST in
PAST years indicates that the yearly
estimate of the percentage of crop
en- farms at that time has been about
five per cent below the actual per-
centage.
OF course all these figures are
more or less guess work when it
comes to what the farmers are
little inclined to underestimate for
public use, what they have on hand,
the figures are likely to err one way
rs the other.
The big spectators claim there is
not one-half the amount of wheat on
hand that Secretary Wilson does;
but when did bulls claim anything
else? And as it is for the farmers
interests to have the supply as light
as possible we find many of them
preferring the figures of the gamb-
lers
What should the farmer do under
the circumstances? Just what no
should any and every year, grow just
as big crop of wheat as he can on
the acres he has planned to put in
to wheat, and just a. dig a crop of
barley, corn, oats or speltz as he
can by good farming on the acres
put into these things. Barley and
corn had their inning last year,
wheat has now; but just which will
be ahead next fall the man who can
tell does not live. There is but one
course for the good farmer and that
n1niv ~hn nu1 To