The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-01-17
TWO DOLLAR WHEAT
This Price Will Hold For Some
Years.

Cal os
A well advised commercial authority
gives 1t as his opinion, "as IA slow,
descent may be counted on in the
prices for grain when the war ends
1t may take several years to restore
the worlds stock of foOdstuffs to nor
mal-there Is good ground for conf
dence in the outlook for rapid devel-
opment in agriculture"
If this be correct, it follows that
the profession of farming will mate
rally increase its ranks in the next
few years.
Today, the price of wheat is set by
the United States government at $2.2O
per bushel, and in Canada the price
has been set at 1921. This, of course,
Is less freight and handling charges
which brings the average to the farm
ers at about $500 per bushel. This
price will pay so long as land, mate
rial and labor can be secured at rea-
sonable prices. 1t remains for the
would-be producer to ascertain where
he can secure these Mt prices that will
make the production of grain profit
able. He will estimate what price he
can afford to pay for land that will give
him yield of wheat which when sold
at $500 per bushel, will return him
fair profit. Local and social condi-
tions will also enter into the considera-
tion. Finding what he wants he would
be wise to make his purchase now.
Land prices in same portions of the
country are low, certainly as low as
they will ever be. City property and
town property will fiuctuate, but farm
property will hold Its own. The price
of grain Is as low as 1t will be for
some years. Therefore 1t would be
well to look about, and find what can
be done.
There are doubtless many opportu-
mites in the United States, especially
in the Western States, to purchase
good agricultural lands, that will pro-
duce well, at reasonable prices. If the
would-be buyer has the time to inves-
tigate, and that is needed, for these
lands do not exist in any considerable
area, he would be well repaid. Not
only will his land certainly increase in
value-the unearned increment would
be an asset-while under cultivation he
can find nothing that will give better
results. He will at the same time be
performing n patriotic act, needful
act, one that would meet with the food
controllers plea to increase agricul-
tural production and assist in reducing
the deficit of 10 million bushels of
wheat reported by the controller.
In addition to the vacant lands in
the United States which should be
brought under cultivation. Western
Canada offers today the greatest area
of just the land that Is required, and
at low prices-prices that cannot Inst
long. Even now land prices are in
creasing, as their value is daily becom-
ing more apparent. and their location
desirable.
As to the intrinsic value of land
in Western Canada, hundreds of con-
crete cases could be cited, which go
to prove that mt fifty and sixty dollars
per acre-figures that have recently
been paid for improved farms-the
crops grown on them gave profit of
from twenty to thirty per cent and
even higher. on such an investment.
One Instance, Is that of n young Eng
lishman, unaccustOmed to farming be-
fore he took his seat on the sulky
plow with which he does most of his
work, after allowing himself 1000 for
his own wages last year, made profit
of 5000 on $4,000 investment. His
total sales amounted to $500 and his
expense, which included the $1,000
wnges for himself, was $500. The
interest was 11h per cent.
To the man who does not care to
buy or who has not the means to pur-
chase, but possesses wealth in his own
hnrdihood, his muscle, and determina-
ton, there are the thousands OF free
homesteads of which he may have the
pick on paying an entry fee of ten
dollars. These are high class lands
and adapted to all kinds Of farming.
Send to your nearest Canadian Gov
ernment Agent for literature, descrip-
tive of the splendid opportunities that
are still open in Western Canada. Adv.