The Washington times., 1916-09-11
COST Of Eating TO
CO. UP TO NEW HIGH
Level THIS WINTER
Substitute Corn for Wheat and
'uss Few Potatoes II You
Would Avoid B'g Bills.
SHORT CROPS ARE BLAMED
Bad Weather, Says Department
Of Agriculture, Has Caused
Much Deterioration.

Uncle Sam II facing long cold winter
with every prospect Of 4 food short
aSs.
That ancient foe Of the public, Old
General High -Cost-of- Living. 10 threat
eninG to make one Of HE most strenu-
Gus campaigns this fall. next winter.
and next spring. II looks a. II there
would be no let-up In his remorssiess
attacks.
The latest figures of the Department
OF Agriculture giving the September
! estimates on crop conditions. whom
analysed. show the country IL going
getting enough to eat unless It wants
TO pay high prices for It.
Food Crops Short.
In general, 4 short supply OF what
may be called food crops Is forecast.
The supply Of what are known as feed
crops ID ample.
The wheat crop u short. This means
higher prices for nour. while the Q.
cent loaf and the lc-cent loaf already
are becoming something more than
he Bureau a. s'esr of crop Essimo,.. e.ou.
istes that the wheat crop viii be sii.-
10000 bushsls. The crop In 1915 was
aM2:cooo bushels: 7, The average for fvs
Inasnuch as II Is calculated that s2o..
00o.O00 bushels of wheat are needed for
annual consumption In this country in a
normal year. the INC crop will not be
snough TO meet the demand for domes-
FortunsteiY. there is in the country
about 1920. 200 bushels.
and on the face Of :hihss allow the ex.
portatlon of moro than 100, ,0O0, coo bushels.
But here ngaip there Is little to con-
soae the ultimate consumer and much
to please the farmer with wheat tc sell.
Price ID Soaring.
The price Of wheat In this country,
now soaring in the region Of $50 per
bushel. 10 governed by the export price;
that 10. the price In the world market
In other words, the price Europe 10 will
inS to pay for wheat Will govern the
tbs sGw Ts:, what " Il: about tne wheat supply Of
Ocdiy enough. It. too. has fallen of.
just at time when the United States 10
short Of wheat.
All North America 10 short on It'll
wheat crop this year. The Canadian
crop 10 about +o.ooo. 900 bushels less, ac-
9ording to figures In the Department Of
cdH!!ure, csn"da!s than i was last year:
what Il wss ss0R ln Il is,5' about t~o-th'rd' Of
-Wsr-ravased Europe, though still
rAsns surprising amount OF wheat.
n.s not as much as in normal times.
PATTY psrtiy Seeau,s esnnoa export .Ss her huge crop.
partly because OF lack OF ports.
Tne Argentina crop and the Australian
crSp. according to latest estimates. will
it Ia.t IN some measure below the crops OF
This obviously means that the demand
on tne worlds available supply for ex-
port VIII be tremendous.
msrS ces are are sure to 90 higher. and
wheat. Department Of Agriculture Of
nciais don't like to talk wheat prices,
opt the tendency Of shortage Of supply
p!us hesvy demand cannot be and Is not
Potato Outlook Not BRIGHT.
10 much for wheat. Tho potato condi.
ton 10 not much more encouraging. The
crop this year. as estimated. will be
about 100000 bushels below that OF
Sweet potatoes have fallen or. Ever
out which one can't have any real, old.
fa1hionsd pancakes. IL below an averas 81
IS: I =, es5n 's crop: As 1srecast. x,!, Y, ;. ,.
bushels below the average for the las,
Ave years. 1t Is much below the 1s1.
crop. which amounted to 3.oO6. 900.
However. the corn situation Is not Sc
rtous. The shortaEs Is most severe ever. II II
Agriculture officials say. almost ar
average crop is forecast. Moreover. tn
frost 30 far as has been holding of II
the corn States.
The oats crop is short in comparison
with early forecasts this season ant
last years immense crop. but 10 abov'
the average Of the past nvs years. -.
Hay 10 tho largest crop ever esti
.sssspo.nt sssS Tn y N: %sans s..soss rsr
The tobacco and rice crops promis
to be tho largest ever produced. ac
cordins to the department. The appl
supply is above an average: ,s Ear, ana TN IN.
age.
Put Blame on Weather.
Acting Secretary Vrooman and hi
aides lay the shortage OF the whea
crop chiefly to the weather. Crops Il
general suffered from the hot. dr.
weather in the Northern and Centrs
West parts Of the United States tn
Prospects declined for corn. sprin
wheat, oats, barley, buckwheat po
tatoes. rice, cotton. and apples betwee
August 1 and September 1.
In some localities. It is. said. short
age Of fertilizers has had an advers
erect, but 1t is said by Department o
Horticulture officials not to be a chic
factor. The real trouble was tn
The moral Of It all is that folks wi
have to learn to change their diet fror
wheat to corn this winter and to g
light on potatoes or else pay bigse
bills.