Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-03
CROPS ARE WORTH
SEVEN BILLIONS
Only Question Is if Farmer or
Consumer Will Profit
the More.

New York. Sept. 2s-The Sun to-day
says: One of the best things about
agricultural prosperity in this country,
financial writer's tell you, is that 1t has
way of coming when other agrarian
nations are In the grip of famine. The
result Is that the great crop in the United
States helps to feed the other countries
OF the world whose fields have lain sodden
at harvest or have burned In unrelieved
sunshine. The restriction Of the supply
raises the prices and the American farmer
gets the benefit, which Is parcelled out
to the American manufacturer, trades
man and workman.
With wheat crop that will measure
nearly 7l0.o00.O0O bushels and has an
approximate value to the farmer Of $G08,-
6W,0O, corn crop of almost 400, 00O. 900
bushels. with n farm value of at least
N,S5o, 100000. an oats crop which is reach
Ing the record breaking total of $780,
100000 bushels and has value on the
farms Of about $685.. 100000 and crops
OF barley. rye and other farm products
running near the top notch the present
value of breadstuffs to the farmers Of
the United States can be put roughly at
more than $1,000 100000
BY December /. the date from which
the government figures the farm value
Of grain, the gross value of this years
crop to the farmers will be many millions
more.
BENEFIT TO TRANSPORTATION.
In addition to that enormous sum can
be figured the money accruing to the rail-
roads for transportation. the Incidental
90
field and the brokers on the exchanges,
the steamship companies for carrying
part Of the crop abroad. the elevator own
ers. the millers and the others who deal
directly with the grain in the process of
putting it In the hands OF the consumers.
Brokers who heard yesterday through
Washington the optimistic reports on Eu-
ropean grain conditions as prepared by
the international institute Of agriculture
in Rome were inclined to measure them
up with reports which have reached them
from private sources. The international
institute put the wheat crops of the world
at 81 per cent. more than year ago. Rye
was III per cent better and crops of
oats and corn were greater than a year
ago In about the same degree. These f1g
ures included the United States and Can
ada, where the crops have been better,
according to the brokers, than anywhere
else in the world.
The Russian wheat crop, which is more
or less Of doubtful question. was esti-
mated by a broker at $40, 900 bushels,
which Is not up to the record of other
years In France. Great Britain and Ger
many and in the Scandinavian countries
reports which have come to New York
indicate that the rains which caused such
widespread disaster in England have
caused poor crops on the continent also
In France a large crop Of wheat was gath
ered but it was reported here that much
of 1t was taken in wet and the quality of
the grain was injured. An estimate Of the
italian crop puts against 1t a deficit of
4l7ooo tons. Australia and the Argentine
will harvest good crops according to pres
ent estimates, but the grain will not be
on the markets Of the world until late in
| the year.
VISIBLE SUPPLY is SHORT
| The deduction from these reports Is that
the United States will be called upon for
an unusually large expectation Of grain.
1t is noteworthy that the present visible
stock Of wheat in the United States Is
rearly 100000 bushels less than 1t was a
year ago. This, in the face Of profitable
heavy demand from abroad. accounts for
the readiness with which offerings OF
wheat are being picked up in the western
markets.
The exports In 1909. for instance, were
1866 per cent. OF the production. While fig
ures on the probable exports in 1912 are
the barest estimates, the proportion of ex.
ported wheat will probably be consider
ably larger than in recent years. The
rates for ocean freight. however. are high
er than ever before. Nevertheless ship
ping brokers hold that the expectation
will not be curtaied
! The reason why the brokers are Placing
such emphasis on the magnitude OF the
| exports was that this Item is n consid-
| cradle factor in maintaining high prices
| to farmers in this country. The poorer
the crops abroad the better Is the market
for American grain. and the greater the
demand the better are the prices.
At present. however, the price OF wheat
on the Chicago market Is we'll below the
high records Of the last 10 years septem-
Der wheat has been ranging slightly above
|
high prices, the lowest quotation for /.
months was 90 IA cents a bushel, and al
one time the price rose to $1GO Last year
the high price was SO. and the low was
50 Lac
FARMERS TO GET $500, 900.
Prices on the Minneapolis market
which Is nearer the areas OF greatest
production. are about two cents lower
than In the Chicago wheat pit. The
prices there reflect more nearly what
the farmers In the West art receiving
at present. Allowing five cents as the
average sum needed as commission tc
the buyers and for transportation to the
elevators of Minneapolis and Duluth
the farmers in the northwest have beer
getting In the neghborhood Of 3sA cents
a bushel for their wheat.
On this figure a farmer in Minnesota
having 500 acres Of land would raise
about 5000 bushels OF wheat uhe aver
age yield in Minnesota In sl1O was six
teen bushels to the acre. and would ge
1854 for 1t. To the farmers OF tn,
country selling at that rate, and It 4,
probable that many Of them will get 9