The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-04-15
ABOUT THE WORLDS WHEAT

Prospects for record wheat crops
in the Northwestern states are more
likely to be realized this season thar
during any similar period in the his
tory of the country, and, taking al
things into consideration, there is
every indication that the farmers in
the Inland Empire will harvest more
grain than ever before. However
there need be no fear that the yield
enormous as 1t may be, will cause
prices to fall ruinously low"
A. w. Lindsay, cashier of the Fidel-
ity National bank of Spokane, who
has made study of farm conditions
in the Northwest for 20 years and is
recognized as an expert, made the
foregoing observation in the course
of an interview after reading reports
from the banks correspondents in
various parts of the country. He add
ed:
"0f course, it is early to talk about
the crop of 1910, for many things
may happen between now and harvest
time. Nor is the Northwest itself
alone concerned as to the means and
the opportunities of comprising this
result, as we are not the only wheat
growing country in the world, al
though the most prolific in the United
States, possibly on the continent.
From Is to even 40 bushels Of wheat
to the acre is not at all uncommon.
Contrast this with the average oil" the
nation, which is far less than half of
that amount, and some idea of the
meaning of the harvest of the North
west to its residents may be realized.
las to the probable price of wheat
and as to when that will occur it is
impossible to say. So many factors
enter into that equation. Last year
the highest prices ruled during the
mol th of June. The price is govern
ed largely by the products of other
nations. The first thing to consider
is the amount of wheat on hand.
Now, it is true enough that the North
west farmers have warehoused much
of their product, and it is true also
that since warehousing the price of
grain has fallen, but, as l have said,
it was highest in the beginning of
last summer Nevertheless there is
no likelihood, in any event that l can
foresee, that the grain price will drop
so low as to wipe out the farmers
profit on his last years crop, even in
Guiding the cost of warehousing and
the interest on the boarded capital.
Much depends naturally on the
wheat yield of the southern hemis-
nhnr0 meantime 81
great wheat countries and both are
harvesting just now. When those re-
turns come in fully this factor may
be calculated more accurately.
Then there is the winter wheat,
which looks well, as far as this Sec
ton of a great country is concerned.
Furthermore, seeding time has been
under suspicious conditions-all of
which tends to show a great yield
But there need be no fear that the
yield will be SO great that the price
will fall ruinously low. In the first
place the demand is ever greater than
the supply. This country is year by
year exporting less of its grain, and
SO far has this tendency been marked
that 1t would seem likely that the
United States, as whole, will pres
emily become wheat importing coun-
try.
Taking in the whole of the North
west, exclusive of Alberta, l will not
be surprised to learn that the total
yield of 1910 approached that of the
whole of Canada just a couple of
years ago.
1--WE might have had banner crop
last season if it had not been for the
windy March and the open winter of
l908-1909. In many places the win
ter wheat had been so often frozen
and thawed, lacking a protection of
snow, that it was forced out of the
soil and the fields had to be reseeded.
Then again, in those places where the
'o1l, though fertile, is light, the March
winds of 1909 literally blew the seed
out of the ground, before it had time
% terminate. Notwithstanding these
drawbacks, last season was the Sec
md best on record in the Northwest |
Ind the yield was prodigious.
This season the weather has been |
infinitely more favorable. There was
considerable fall of snow, which,
wing on the ground at the most criti-
al time of the year, protected the
eedlings from the rapidly alternating
pring frost and thaws, so destructive
o winter wheat Then again, the
pring has-been warm and sufficiently
moist to permit of the new grain
'etting firm hold on the ground.
There is also another factor which
makes for a larger as well as heavier
rop and that is the greater amount
f ground which is being broken by
he plough for wheat. Upward of
5000 people settled in the Inland
Empire alone, during the summer
nd fall of 1909.
Most of these took up land. Some
rent in for apple raising and some
q other branches of farming, but
here are numbers who, attracted by
he fertile lands of the Northwest,
re breaking land for wheat, bring
lg more acreage under cultivation
nd substantially adding to the as
cts of the country. For in the final
nalysis the wealth of the cities is
ased upon the prosperity OF the
rmarS who oro frnly opor~b %ho