The Washington times., 1921-06-15

l.
mercial stagnation.
Farm products this year will be
worth In the neighborhood Of $4,000
100000 unless all predictions fall.
Farmers. apparently convinced that
business prosperity Isl about to stage
a return, now are ready to harvest a
gigantic cereal crop that will insure
the nations food supply next winter.
and result, perhaps, In cheaper food
for the consumer of Washington,
Chicago. New York, and other big
| cities. .Et
FARMERS BELIEVED PLEASED.
Agriculturalists I'm all sections ap-
parently are encout aged to believe
that the outlook for them Is roseate.
Tho rural or agricultural population
represents approximately one-half Of
the nations entire consuming and
lieve that conditions will improve
their optimism is bound to be passed
along to the rest of the country in
increased purchases.
Reports to the Agricultural Depart
prent show that in VIII .~~t alone farm
ers this year increased their acreage
"a per cent. This was done in the
face of a pessimistic outlook which
last fall caused farmers to threaten
20 curtail production of food. stock
and practically all crops unless de-
nation were made to touch them more
lightly. In the Western States farm
ers formed combinations to withhold
their crops from market to gain
higher prices.
with the 1921 harvest about to be-
gin. however. this wave of economic
p~ssimism seems to have been dis
lelled. Railroads now arc sending
streams of cars westward to load the
millions of tons of food and grain
that soon will be garnered from the
fields. Operators of grain elevators
are preparing to fifl their great stacks
to the tops On the Great Lakes
shippers for~ee a mammoth grain
movement this fall from Superior To
Erie.
American exporters are planning
for q big business year transporting
American grain and other products
to European and other ports Mi,
l.1ns of bushels of wheat alone will
te forwarded from the United States,
il is expected.
WINTER WHEAT s7syooo.oooo
BUSHELS.
The nations wheat production In df-
vided into two crops. winter wheat
and spring wheat The winter crop is
forecast by the Agricultural Depart
ment at 57s.o0o.o0o buAhels This
Vas planted last fall and will be har-
vested beginning this month in some
States and extending through the
period of early summer.
The spring wheat crop was forecast
at Isl, 100000 bushels This was
PLANTED early this spring and will be
harvested during the summer and
early fall.
The great bulk of the wheat pro-
duction comes from Oklahoma Kan
sas. the Dakotas. Montana Illinois,
Ohio, and Maryland.
In the great wheat belt, extending
through the Middle West the army
of farm hands soon will be at work
This is made up mainly of mobile
force of workers The force now Is
practically ready to begin work in
Oklahoma As the harvest there is
finished the mobile army will work
northward, moving into Kansas, pass
ing through the Dakotas. and winding
up in Montana Reaping and binding
machines, tractors and threshing ap-
paratus now are being moved West
ward from great manufacturing CEN
ters to make possible the harvest and
its preparation for human consump-
tion-
LABOR PLENTIFUL AGAIN.
For the ffrst time since prewar
days, farmers are assured a plentiful
supply Of labor. During the war
years and for period after the
armistice, farmers round IL almost
impossible to get help at suitable
prices. Now, however, this fs chang
ed. The supply of labor Is plentiful
ana the price for the agriculturalist
il lower. The pay of the average
farm hand In the Western States this
year is about SO n day. During the
war II was from 81 to $40. There will
be no shortage of labor In any asri-
cultural State this summer and fall,
according to reports to the Agricul-
ture Department
Other production costs of the farm
er are gradually falling. Interest
rates are going down since tight
money is disappearing. During the
war the farmer was forced to pay
often as high as z and per cent on
loans to carry his crops Now West
ern bankers are prepared to give the
farmer the money he needs a: interest
rates that he can afford. The surplus
OF the Federal Reserve system Is the
highest in history. showing that near
ly 81 900, o00, 900 Is available for mo-
bilixation in western banks to make
loans to farmers.
Prices of fertilizer are dropping.
according to reports to the national
board of farm organizations here, al
though the reductions arc not as
thorough as the farmer desires. In
general, fertilizer prices are down
about 10 per cent. This was brought
about through agreements and con-
fercnces between Government onl-
cials and farmers organization offi-
ciais here. Prices of farm ma
chinery are being reduced. A big
Chicago concern recently announced