Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-09-02
Is IL Best to Sell or Hold?

|
as to whether to sell of hold 1t is a
lamentable condition that enables
the heavy buyers just at harvest
time to take advantage of the farm
ers and push the price of wheat to
it's lowest level, knowing that the ma
jority of the farmers are not finan-
cially able to hold their grain and
must sell at whatever price they can
get. About the time the harvest
commenced here, and prior to this
our local buyers were contracting
for wheat at from s1.25 to $1.35
per hundred. but could get very few
contracts even at this price. Last
week, however the market was all
shot to pieces, 30 to speak and no
orders were coming in for the grain,
and the price was brought down to |
sl.1O per hundred with prospect of |
1t going still lower.
Calling attention to the fact that
he has knowledge of a farmer who
has two year crop of wheat in his
barns. exclusive of his harvest for
the present year, II. T. Lewis, OF the
economies department of the Univer-
sity OF Idaho, in discussing the advis-
ability OF holding your wheat, says:
While this is doubtless an except
tional case, it does raise the question
as to the wisdom OF holding ones
| 60 f,,tn hfUh nrifaG While
1t is undoubtedly unwise to hold for
the price this particular farmer
seeks, and recognizing fully that the
price OF wheat during the ensuing
. ten months rests upon a large num-
Der OF uncertainties. II would still ap-
near that the farmer who holds his
E wheat until January, February or
r even later will realize greater pro-
I fits than he who sells before that
70 time There are, however, large
= number of facts to be borne in mind.
- Practically every country OF import
@ ance in the world has raised more
e wheat this year than last. The Rus
sian crops. exclusive of Poland and
+ Siberia. are in the neighborhood or
: 100000, bushels more than last
h year; Italy's crop is 2O,00O,OOO bush
l. els larger; the United Kingdom has
Il 100000 bushels more. Reports
from Germany and Austria indicate
J. crop above normal (thanks to the
4. prisoners OF war; and In addition te
- this, these countries have purchased
= practically the entire Rumanian croI
E. at the very time that the allies were
dickering for ii. South American
wheat is said to be of fair quality
=. and our own crop Is, of course, enor
IN nous and of high grade.
IS Yet In spite of these factors /
Of would seem as though 1t would b.
ne good policy to hold for some month
- lif the farmer can AFFORD 1t, reckon
of ing his interest and insurance amon
ty his other considerations. The Rus
ne sian crop will largely be locked with
I'm her own borders as long as tn
20 Turks can hold the Dardanellei
| r which will still be for some time !
60 all probability. The northern port
he of Russia will be closed to navigs
nv tion because of the cold weather
a month or so. This means that tn
Russian supply will scarcely be avail
able for general use until such tim
ch as Constantinople is captured. whe
of the price of all cereals will doubles
ng break sharply. In fact, 1t may we
TO be said that the price of wheat is b
of ing determined right now on the Ga
IN lipoli peninsula. The crop In Il
,ed rest of Europe has been harveste
and is being rapidly consumed.
yht fact, England is already making a
nh rangements for the purchase OF o.
md surplus crop.
It'll II he can AFFORD 1t, therefore, q
yed wheat owner had best wait befo
Idi- selling. The caution must not be
hold for unduly high price-certai
Gu " not for 81 wheat Gas some farme
EN- are unfortunately still doing), and
rhe will not be bad policy to sell witho
we'd waiting for the price event to eqt
the the high point of last year. The ma
Ter ket, too, must be closely watch'
leir for il will be far more normal a
cen less widely advertised than last W
ear ter, and decisive actions In the
md zone are possible at any nome
,rit- July, 1915, prices on the Chicago
Illus for No. 2 red averaged 4Oc a bus
in more than for the same period
GER year. and 1t is still selling arou
the s1.14. From February until May
this year the same wheat never
below s1.51 and the monthly aV
but age for May was $1.61 u. The she
met. ening of the distance and of the
nave nal route should, moreover, ena
days the seller to take better advantage
lives current prices.
sew One may conclude, therefore, {
ton while It is not likely that prices
the remain as high this year as last, t
eggs probably will rise, and with
L.. Il