The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-03-26

'"0'"s' 0o"est'c remain Not Mor(
Than 100000 eusheis-Whsat Dee,
Not Constitute More Than Il Pc,
Cent Of Usual Diet, Says Department,
Of Agriculture.
The United States department Of AZ
riculture gave out this statement. re.
futing the allegation that this country
Is threatened with a food shortage:
The 1914 wheat crop Of the United
States was estimated to be SOL, COO. OOO
bushels. The estimated surplus chr.
ried over from the 1913 crop was about
100000 bushels. There was, there
fore, a total available supply Of 987..
100000 bushels.
"As the normal annual per capita
consumption Of wheat in the United
States is about 5.3 bushels. 520.OO0,O0O
bushels should meet our normal do
nestle requirements for food. In addi-
ton 00,OO0,O0O bushels are required
annually for seeding; 61OsO0O,0oO bush
els, therefore, should supply the NOS.
NAL domestic demand.
This would leave a surplus Of 357..
100000 bushels. OF this surplus about
210.O0O,OOO bushels were exported BY
Jan. 80. This left 1 100000 bushels.
or 4O.O0O,OOO bushels more than our
average annual export for the past i've
years. for export between Feb. l and
the appearance Of the new crop, Or for
carrying over into the mex crop year.
THE amour: Is sufficient to permit
the export Of nearly l.0OO.OW bushels
a day until July |. before which time
the new crop will begin to be availa.
BILE. This is about the average recent
expectation.
THE large demand for our wheat
arises from the fact that there was an
estimated worlds shortage of over
40O,O00,O 900 bushels outside Of the Unit
ed States; from the fact that the Rus.
sian exportable surplus Of 100, 100000
bushels Is not available generally and
from the fact that the belligerent ma.
tons are eager to secure food supplies.
II 1t were not for these things we
should be discussing ways and means
Of disposing Of u tremendous sur
plus of food products.
Wheat In Other Countries.
las has been stated. the new Am
erican crop will begin to appear be-
fore July. The Argentine crop is now
coming on the market. 1t Ia estimated
that from that source there will be
available 10O.OOO.OOO bushels. A sur
plus of 75.OOO.OO bushels or more from
India will be available in May and
June. The increase in the fall sowu
wheat acreage Of the United States in
1914 was ILL., per cent. or over 4,OOO.-
GOO acres. In the northern hemisphere.
generally. the acreage Of winter wheat
shows an increase Of from 3 to 33 per
cent. as follows: Denmark. 3 per cent;
Italy, 5 per cent: Switzerland. 10 per
cent: United Kingdom. 10 ler cent:
United States. II per cent: India. -
per cent: Canada. 33 per cent.
But suppose a shortage in wheat
should develop in the next three
months. what would be the situation?
There is a great surplus in other food
crops in the United States. Il number
Of which can be used as substitutes.
Wheat does not constitute more
than II per cent of the normal diet.
about the same rs poultry and eggs.
Meat and dairy products constitute
AZ per cent. vegetables II per cent and
fruits, nuts. sugar, fish and other items
the remaining 10 per cent.
There are larger supplies Of corn
and other grains. meat animals, dairy
products. potatoes and fruit at the
opening Of 1915 than for many years.
The most important competing prod.
ucts are corn and potatoes. This is
shown by the fact that. while the nor.
NAL consumption of wheat is So bush.
els. in Maine 1t is only ~ bushels and
in Michigan s.
Consumption Of Crops.
"In the wheat growing states. where
wheat Is abundant, such as Minnesota.
the average is 10. whereas in the
south. where corn is much used. the
average Is 4 bushels. Normally about
3 per cent Of the corn crop Is con.
sumed rs food. OF our total crop,
about 80 per G II would be used for
food. the remainder for other purposes.
The remainder could be used for foods
and substitutes used for animals.
THE potato production in the United
States averages 3.S bushels per capita.
This year the available supply is ~
bushels. The average price of meat
animals was I per cent cheaper in
January than a year ago. butter , per
cent lower. the price Of chickens
slightly lower. Of potatoes So per cent
lower, and Of apples it was 81 per cent
lower.
ut would seem that the United
States Is not likely to he thrcotauad