New-York tribune., 1918-02-28
The Calamitous Farmer
Lure of 81 Wheat Likely to Prove Severe Blow to the
Dire Predictions of the Food Production
Pessmists

A'NhHst 10 picturesque, UuI IL is Icla-
lively about as important rs a city
gardeners loss of his backyard crop.
Those farmers lacked transportation
for their wheat and couldn't get
corn, so they fed wheat to their hogs.
\ loss of wheat in a limited locality.
to be sure. but good pork made.
Wasteful, but a small affair.
Much KILLED.
Wheat Has Been Revived
The December / report on winter
wheat condition--T0 per cent-was
the worst ever known, because of ad-
verse weather conditions in the fall.
But if farmers can't make money on
81 wheat and can't get labor, how
does it happen that they have put in
100000 acres Of winter wheat
more than ever before?
incidentally. it should be said that
reports now coming in show that a
lot Of the wheat that was "killed"
IN December has been revived. The
next official presentation of the out
look may mark winter wheat up to so
or S5, instead of 70. Besides, the
abandoned acreage will be seeded to
spring crops, such as corn, the
sorghums and, in some districts,
spring wheat.
The scarcity of seed corn is very
serious problem. 1t arises from the
fact that so much of the last crop
was frosted. But this problem is be-
ing boldly and successfully faced.
The whole country is being secured
for seed in comprehensive and sys-
tematic way. In Iowa and Illinois,
the chief corn states, every township
and every school district has its seed
committee. The northern edge of
the corn belt suffers most. Lack of
suitable seed may reduce acreage and
production there, but less corn there
means more spring wheat.
On the whole, it is probable that
less corn will be raised this year than
last because Of the seed shortage. bNt
even a decline of two or three hun
dred millions of bushels in the crop
would not be a serious factor in the
food problem.
Financing the farmers in some
sections, such as North Dakota and
Montana. where the wheat crop has
been poor for two years in success
sion, is some job. But it is being
attended to. The Department Of
Agriculture has fund for this pur-
pose that takes care of the desperate
cases. Local banks, county bond is
sues, the Farm Loan Bank, mer-
chants crop advance pools. state
councils Of defence. etc, are in one
way or another providing the funds
to finance the spring wheat crop.
Every farmer who can get labor will
be provided with capital
81 Wheat Looks Good
To Average Farmer
The outlook for spring wheat acre
age is psychological rather than
financial After two years of poor
crops {he farmers may not be in
clined to take another chance on
wheat, but, even if he is bear gam
bier, the Western farmer is q gam
bier. Following a five-year pre-war
average OF S5 cents for wheat on the
farm, So a bushcl looks very good to
the identical farmer who can take q
pencil and pad and prove to you that
it viii bankrupt him.
After all, the spring wheat farmer
will probably back wheat to win
against any other crop he can put in,
taking all the factors into considora-
ton. 1t is too early to say, but there
is a good prospect that if the farm
ers of Montana, Minnesota, North
Dakota and Idaho can find the labor,
the whole spring wheat acreage will
be larger than it was even in 1911,
and it may be the largest the coun-
try has el@s-t' known.
That brings US to The question of
agricultural labor as affecting the
wheat supply as we'll as all other
crops everywhere. 1t requires
chapter to itself. 1t is admittedly a
puzzling question, but it is not impos-
sible to answer.