The Washington herald., 1911-08-27

within three years Canada will export
more wheat and flour than We do. Some
day, unless agriculture Is given the same
| treatment in our laws that is accorded
to other industries, We shall be eating
foreign bread"
Has the growing of wheat made any
| one rich in North Dakota?''
"A few men have done we'll, but agri-
culture on a large scale has never been
profitable when figured on the basis of
the capital invested. Writers are in the
habit of describing the great ranches of
the Dalrymples and the Grandins. The
Dalrymples have 10000 acres of land. The
Grandins once owned 35, 600 acres. But
it must be remembered that the original
acre cost of the land was about eighty
cents. Wheat grown on eighty-cent land
is a paying crop. But the cost must be
computed on the present value of the
farm or ranch.
There is good authority for saying
that 1t costs 65 cents bushel to grow
and Minnesota, and only 80 cents in
Saskatchewan. The University of Mime
sofa, since 1902 has kept a careful ac-
count of the income and expenditures
of a number of farms in that State. The
profits on the farms for three years. al
lowing the farmers, their wives, and chill
dren wages at the prevailing rates, were
only ~ per cent. In 1903 and 1909 the
profits rose to about per cent, which
is the interest the farmer pays if his
land is mortgaged.
Western Farms Being Deserted.
Americans are complaining about the
dear prices Of food. ] shall not argue
the question except to say that the
farmer is in no way responsible. II
agriculture is a highly paid employment
or business, 1t seems strange that so
many country people are throwing their
chances away, and moving into villages
and cities. In Missouri there were fewer
farmers in 1910 than in 1900 The decrease
was s.soo. During the same decade New
York lost 1900. Ohio 5.S36, Pennsylvania
1854, and Illinois 13,S00 I haven't the
figures for the other States, but / am
sure they are just as alarming.
IF a farmer can cultivate his land
with the help of his wife and children,
he can earn a reasonable dividend on his
investment, but he cannot indulge him
self or his family in any of the modern
extravagances. Moreover, he must count
on occasional backseats and philosophical
ly accept the hazards Of his occupation.
Hail storms, wind storms, too much and
too little rain are the threats that ap-
pear with every season. In 1909, the
average yield of wheat in North Dakota
was 1871 bushels to the acre. 1t dropped
the next year to bushels. The same
misfortune came to the growers of fax,
the yield falling from "a bushels in 1909
to 4.S bushels in 1910 Nevertheless, so
far as can learn, there was no diminu-
tion in the profits Of the linseed oil trust.
North Dakota produces three-flfths of
the fiaxseed grown in the country. When
the crop fails, our farmers pocket the
loss. but the price Of paint goes up or
remains stationary.
VA good many problems remain un-
solved. Before the present tariff law
put hides on the free list but left a duty
on shoes, hides brought about II cents
n pound In our markets. A year after
the law went into effect. hides dropped
to IL cents, and the price OF shoes went
up 10 per cent Free hides, the shoe
manufacturers said. would enable them
to reduce the price of shoes.
VIII Arise In Their Wrath.
"The manufacturers were either mis-
taken or they were playing sharp
game on the Americas consumer, Any
way, the farmer u losing at both ends