The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-13


 That the farmers, especially those who cultivate this years record-making crops Of grain and also the cotton planters, are now much embarrassed by the defiation in prices which prevails. is recognized by President Wilson, although he says that there is no legislation which would make it lawful for him so to act as to relieve the farmers of their embarrass- ment. But the most serious feature of the situation is, according to those who have studied it, the danger that it will persuade farmers to curtail in 1921 their cultivation of the land, and if that be done, the harvest of next summer and fall will fall far below the average. On the other hand it seems to be the opinion that the farmers will find that defiation which has affected their own products has also so greatly affected ! other industries as to bring about great 1 reduction in costs. Very likely the farm CTS will discover that material, farm im- plements and other factors upon which l they rely are to be much cheaper next spring and summer than they were in
 190o. So also labor which last summer
 received high wages, and in some parts Iof the country was very autocratic will l pC CoiApctiSu IO accept reQuCtlOn
 wages. If this forecast be correct then
 the farmers may be persuaded that by treason of reduced costs, for cultivation , or their fields they may look forward to profitable harvests
 | In the northwest the movement of the
 grain which was harvested in the sum- mer has been considerably larger than s~ one time was thought likely to be the ] case. In that section of the country
 which has become within few years a very large producer of grain, a little un- | der 5O per cent of the total wheat crop
 they harvested was marketed by mid
 November. The authorities report that
 the total wheat crop in these north western states was 14S0OO,OOo bushels. It would have been considerably larger had there not been in some sections unfavor- l able weather
 That so great quantity of wheat should have been moved from the fields | to the markets in SO short a time with out causing much liquidation is explained | by the fact that the greater part of the wheat received at the terminals is GOV cred by storage tickets. In other words, 1 it has not yet been actually sold, but the farmers have in their possession cer- tificates which represent the agricultural district of the northwest, Minneapolis. Nearly S,0000o0 bushels of grain were re- ceived at Minneapolis in October.
 FARMERS HOLDING BACK i Nevertheless. it is apparent that the disposition of the farmers who own grain to hold 1t back has been so strong and has been so generally yielded to that liquidation has been prevented. The farmers are delivering grain at central points and receiving storage tickets for it, and will hold these tickets in the hope that by and by they can get better prices for their grain. Still the general ten ! ,f r,ri oI HC of oiv, has been downward. The grain which has been kept in storage has for that reason depreciated considerably in value. It is really deplorable situation for the farmers and yet many of them recog- nize that it is inevitable, representing no more than the general deflation. which is in progress, not only in the United States. but throughout the world. BETTER EVEN THAN GRAIN Certain products which are included in the list of agricultural productions, but are outside of the list of grains. are sometimes overlooked when considering the cash returns which the farmers of the northwest receive for their labors. In fact. some of the banking authorities in the northwest this morning sent word to l their friends in New York that there is a strong tendency to overemphasize the l importance of grain as the cash crop l of the northwest, This year at least there are other, perhaps better products than grain to which the farmers may l look for reasonable cash returns. Throughout that vast region vegetables and dairy products are yielding a more satisfactory return than they did last year. In four states in the northwest nearly 5o,0o0.0O0 bushels of potatoes. al-
 most all of. them of very high grade. wepe harvested this year, and this
 amount is considerably in excess of the ipctato harvest of year ago. These wilr bring a large cash return to the farm | CTS.
 | In the east there is little realization of the magnitude of the dairy industry in
 the northwest. Minnesota made and mar
 keted last year little under 150Ooo, 900 pounds of butter. For this butter the
 dairymen received about 5000 900, and 1 there was no delay in payments The
 also produced cheese of high quality, tho net yield of which in cash to the dairy
 men was at least $2.000.000.
 l In Minnesota alone 1,500,0 bushels of
 apples were gathered this year. almost all of them in excellent condition and
 commanding good prices. For a year or two we have heard much about the growth of Montana as a wheat produc- ing state. and the prediction has been frequent that within a few years 1t will
 make . record which will place it very 1 states. But as a fruit grower Montana
 is matching her growth in wheat cuiti- vation. and this year that state produced considerably more than 15DoO0,o00 bushels | of very fine apples. These fruits. vege- tables and dairy products are estsmskeu as worth moro this year from the point
 of view of cash returns to the faRmers