Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-02
THE HARVEST TINE

A UGUsT is Harvest month in
"A Montana. 1t is here and har-
vest is here. Winter grains are
ripe and spring sown grains are
fast ripening. For the first time
since spring the farmer can draw
a sigh of relief and say his crop is
made, barring the chance of a hail
storm. In the large majority of
cases it is past the evil influence of
drouth, grasshoppers or other in
sect pests, or disease. 1t is a good
crop, an unusually good crop. a
bumper crop that will go far beyond
the early government estimates, &C
cording to local expert authority.
One prominent milling man in this
state estimates the wheat crop alone
at forty million bushels. While
some may say the estimate is too
optimistic, we know of no single
person with better sources of in
formation in such matters in Mon
tana. At any rate, we can count
on a good crop year in Montana
with positive certainty now.
No doubt there are some sections
in the state where this statement
does not apply. There are always
such spots in the best of crop years.
They are not many in number this
year or large in area.
With renewed activity in copper
and zinc mining. a good grain and
hay crop, a good price for wool and
a slowly rising price for beef. one
must concede that the business
outlook for Montana is most excel
lent. We do not assert that any
business boom has yet been felt in
these parts. In fact, we are cred
itably informed that the reverse Of
this is true, and that business, par
ticularly retail merchandising. is
rather slow and CONSTRUCTED. But
we do assert with confidence that
such conditions cannot last long in
the face of the fundamental facts
we have cited.
We would be loath 10 assume the
part of a prophet or to give bust
ness advise to people better able
themselves to judge of the business
policy which best suits their means,
but if we were a merchant and had
the available cash we would lay IN
a stock of goods at this time in
anticipation of a rising market and
a greatly increased demand. BY
the same token, if we were a buyer
from retail houses we would stock
up right now with such necessities
as we would require in the immedi-
ate months to come, because we
fully believe that prices will be
higher before very long. In fact
prices are already going up. The
board statistics
show that the cost of living ad-
vanced one per cent in June, and
there is every indication that the
July figures will show another adj
vance. The long downward trend
of prices is over. and the upgrade
has commenced. in our opinion.
That is why we think it a good time
for any person who has the money
to buy for his present needs and
for the immediate future.
The Montana farmer has gone
through a pretty rough experience.
His lot was rendered doubly hard
from the fact that he had bad crop
years when prices were high. and
last year when as a rule the crops
were fair to middling prices were
shot to pieces. This year he will
have a good crop. much better than
average, and while prices are rather
low, the large yield in most sec
tions will make it a profitable crop.
One good crop will not make up for
former losses, but it will greatly
improve the farmers credit and
give him courage for the future.
1t will also pull many Of the farm
er's creditors out Of the hole, for
the banks and the merchants stood
by him during his darkest days with
conmendable loyalty, many of them
endangering their own solvency to
do it. The harvest season is here
and it brings JOY and gratitude to
US all. We got both the carly and
the later rains this year.