The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-07-28
SEEKING COST OF
WHEAT PRODUCTION
GOVERNMENT TRYING TO AS
CERTAIN WHAT 1T COSTS
TO RAISE WHEAT

TO RAISE WHEAT
What it costs to produce bushel
of wheat on an average Palouse
country farm will soon be known. DR..
81. C. Taylor, head of the farm man
agement bureau Of the department of
agriculture at Washington, D. c., is
here to get this information and gave
assurance that the data necessary to
arrive at it is being gathered and will
soon be available DR.. Taylor was a
guest of the Moscow Chamber Of
Commerce today and gave an inter
esting talk on what the department
of agriculture is doing along this
line For two months the department
has had two men in the Palouse coun-
try working in conjunction with two
men from the University of Idaho
and two from the Washington State
: College at Pullman to secure data on
farm management, farming opera
tions, land values and the cost of pro-
duction of wheat This is to be
reached by taking the actual cost for
number of years on 300 or more
farms in various parts of the Pa
louise country.
DR.. Taylor said he was surprised
and delighted to see the great wheat
fields of this section. He had never
seen better. He spoke of the "black"
fields (fields that are being summer
fallowed) and said the work of the
: University of Idaho's agricultural
college in reducing the number of
these "black" fields and making them
3sgreen" fields with peas or other
summer crops, is comendable and he
hoped it will be continued.
He deprecated the tendency to adj
vance land values and pointed out the
danger of driving young men from
the farms by making it impossible
for them to own farms with advanc-
ing land values and probability of
lower prices for farm products, es-
pecially wheat. He pointed out the
danger to a young man who had paid
one-third or one-half of the purchase
price of high priced farm when the
price Of wheat, the staple crop, de-
clines
He praised the work of Dean Id
>dings and the college OF agriculture
here and said the department at
Washington was looking forward to
the time when it will not be neces-
sary to come out here, but will de-
pend upon the agricultural colleges
to carry on the work and report to
Washington which he said sis long
way off from the west and the work
can be better handled here than from
Washington"
There was good attendance at to-
days luncheon and much interest was
shown and mary good talks were de-
livered.
Other speakers were G.. P. Mix,
chairman Of the Moscow highway dis
trict, who told of the work being
done in connecting county roads with
the paved streets of Moscow; kev. Il.
o. Perry, who told of the need OF lQO
more rooms to entertain the Method
ist conference delegates; Superin-
tendent Shank, of the Moscow
schools, who replied to the address OF
Mr.. Lampson, of the Federated
Teachers of America, who urged that
all teachers affiliate with the Amerl-
can Federation of Labor; and T. L.
Orcutt, who made plea for the de-
struction of weeds and Improvement
of lawns, parking strips and yards IN
Moscow.
Mr.. Mix said that the highway
board is cooperating with the city IN
CQ0 udIu SuIIdCCu iOoe2o ~
the paved districts Of Moscow on y.
street, where it connects with POLK,
and on Sixth street, making hard,
surfaced road to the college farm and
the packing plant SO that farmers
can deliver their hogs and other stock
to the plant without getting help to
get over the muddy roads.
Rev. Mr.. Perry said the Methodist
church members can care for about
250 conference delegates and asked
that the chamber provide rooms for
LOO more.
Professor Shank made strong I
plea for assistance to care for the 7OO ;;
,r more teachers who will be here for !
he annual teachers institute begin :
hing October a. He said Lewiston I,
chamber of commerce gave $500 last :
year and offered to give that much !
every year if the teachers made Lew
ston their regular meeting place. He
said Twin Falls gave $500 per year :
,or the institute. He asked that at :
east $500 be given by the chamber !,
md thought it ought to give $500.
This money is needed for entertain
nent of the teachers and providing
alent for the institute. That is :
about one third of the amount that :
will be needed.