The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-17

Kansas City Star.
 Prices of farm products now. as com pared with those of few years SEQ afford ample and costly evidence of the truth of James J. Hni's statement to the bankers of Chicago last week that the farming industry is not keep- ing up with the general growth or the country. but confrmatory statistics may be easily complied.
 In the case of wheat, for example,. the record of exports shows how rap- idly the home demand is gaining, on the production. In the five years end ing in 1909 the exports of wheat ana -four from the United States were l. <.o00, ,00O bushels. averaging 213,00o.- 1000 bushel syearly. Tn the five years ending June 90. 1908 total exports were 573.000.o00 bushels. equal to 115,0o0,00c bushels yearly. The largest exports of any year In the past five years were less than the smallest exports of any year In the preceding five years.
 The record of exports Is much bet ter evidence of the e~relative amount of wheat produced in the two periods than the Government crop estimates. because the figures compiled by the Government statisticfans were notorfouslv inaccur- ate prior to. 1901 The Agricultural A~CR4Ettf<4lB Gt<fmaNCH Vl LH0 WH6At crop averased ss2.0oo. 900 busheis year ly for the years 1898 to 1 s02. inclusive. and s50,0o0.00o bushels for the years 1903 to 1907. But as matter of fact. more wheat was raised in the earlier period than in the later. as Is shcwn by the records of distribution of each years crop.
 The Census Bureau in 1900 reported 65S. .000.0o0 bushels of wheat raised on nA fF 1QQQ Tha Agricultural Department's estimate for that year was only t4500. 900 acres and 547, 100000 bushels. The statisticians of the Department of Agriculture made a partial revision of their figures to more nearly conform to the showing made by the census. ana their estimate of the wheat. area in 1901 was 4s.ssT.- the agricultural Department has re- ported for any year since 1901.
 With yearly wheat exports averaging 213,o00. 900 bushels in 1s9s-1s02. and only 1f5.0o0.0D0 bushels In is0s-1sos. 1t might be assumed that within an- other five years the United States will almost cease to become an exporter of wheat. and undoubtedly that condition will come within ten years unless there Is either an Increase in wheat area or an increase in the yield per acre.
 With no increase in the wheat area in the United States during the past ten years, there has been an increase of about 9o.0o0.oo0 bushels in the an- nual home consumption of wheat in this country, owing to the increase in population. Within another decade the home demands will be over 10000 900. bushels more per annum than they are now. and at that time crops equal 10 the average of the past four years will barely suffice pto supply home needs. ] It may be safely assumed that high prices will stimulate more intensive, cultivation and more economical use 'of land. resulting in increasing yields, evan If there is no important addition to the area. It Is folly. of course, to talk of this great country being unable to raise enough food for 100. 900 900 or even 2o0.oO0,0oo or 3oO.000. 900 people. But the fact remains that the time is close at hand when 1t will become nec- essary to Increase this country's crops.