The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-01-10
CURRENT BUSINESS CONDITIONS
BY GEORGE E. ROBERTS
rom the Monthly by City W

dictions can be ventured as to when
industry will be running full time so
long as it labors under such handi-
caps.
Agricultural Conditions.
Conditions in the agricultural Sec
tons are far from inspiring, but in
the cotton country the feeling is
little better. The final government
estimate upon the cotton crop is g.
$4,000 bales, which compares with
the October estimate of 6,537,0 900 bales,
an increase that might have been ex-
pected to play smash with the market.
The explanation given for this ex-
traordinary revision is that the de-
partment of agriculture was crippled in
the bureau of estimates by reduction
of its force of investigators, and was
misled as to the acreage planted in
cotton. The ginnings proved the in
accuracy of the October estimate, and
the conclusion seems to be forced that
the acreage curtailment was rnuch less
than claimed by the organizers of the
movement.
| The first effect of the revised esti-
mate was to cause cotton to sell off,
January contracts going under II
cents, but since then with good con-
ditions in the cotton goods trade
prices have advanced about two cents
the pound. Exports of cotton since
June have been we'll above those of
the corresponding months of last year.
and there is some feeling in the British
cotton trade that world stocks of cot
ton goods are low and that better buy
ing is not far off. Trade in India is
unfavorably affected by the patri-
otto boycott of British goods.
The governments final report makes
this country's production of wheat
about 100000 bushels above former
figures. Exports for the twenty-five
weeks ended December %, as report
ed by Bradstreet's aggregated $751;
O00, 900 bushels against 238,0OOOO in
the corresponding time last year. The
market has been unsettled and fluc-
tuating, but at the end of December
was upon about the same level as at
the beginning. The worlds needs
and supplies seems to be closely bal
anced in this crop, but the growing
crop in this country is rated at low
condition.
The. West has a surplus of corn
which rests heavily upon the market,
but prices have held their own during
the past month, and gained couple
OF cents, partly on the strength of
prospective purchases for Russia
Cattle are depressed, but hoks around
81 per hundred-weight in Chicago
yield fair return to the farmer who
has grown a good crop of corn. Dairy
products also are bringing fair prices.
Farmers who own their land and
are out of debt can get along very
well under present conditions, altho
local taxes have been pushed up in
recent years until they are as much
as rent was twenty years ago. Farm
ers who went into debt for land at the
prices ruling two years ago have an
interest charge which cannot be met
from the land. This will be the first
year in great many in which num-
erous defaults will occur in the pay
ment of interest upon farm mortgages.
There is good reason to believe that
present prices for farm products are
about the lowest that will be seen.
The last two seasons have been un-
usually favorable for the grain crops.
The carry-over of wheat certainly
will not be large and the growing crop
has poor start. 1t would be re-
markable to have another bumper corn
yield after three great crops, and there
is reason to believe that less corn will
be planted this year. Moreover, it is
likely that the hog crop will be in
creased. During the years when corn
brought high prices, it became the
popular thing to sell corn and a good
many farmers got out of hogs. They
are likely to get back to more evenly
balanced agriculture, with more mich
cows, more pigs, more grass and for
age crops and more scientific culture.