Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-28
NATION s FARMERS
IN BEST CONDITION
Of SEVERAL YEARS
Cotton, Corn, Wheat and
Cattle All Show SubStan-
tiaI Advance in Price-Har-
vests Excellent
BY HARDEN COLFAX.
Oeased Wire Service to The Journal)
Copyright, 1922

Copyright, 1922
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-The
, farmer is coming back into the ma
TOMS markets with cash to spend.
He is making a greater realization
on the crops of 1922 than on any
other of the past three years. He is
by no means out of the woods, but
he seems to be on the way and his
prospects APP Il brighter at this
time than they were a year ago.
Figu: made public by the de-
partment of agriculture this week
indicate the extent to which the
farmer has advanced within the past
year. These figures show, with re-
spect to the four crops, that cotton
is so per cent higher than it was
year ago; corn. more than so per
cent higher; wheat, 4 per cent high
er and oats about 81 per cent higher.
The price of cattle has advanced
about Is per cent and that of hogs
about 10 per cent since inventory
was taken of last years harvest,
twelve months ago.
Although the department has not
formally --nr1un, 4 it, the latest
price re rms on farm products show
that the value of the four main crops
of 1922-cotton, corn, wheat and
oats-in round figures is S1,000,00
600 more than the value of those
same crops in 1921. IF live stock in
creases are added to this, the in
creased value of what the farmer has
to sell is raised to approximately ST.
125,000,000. If the increase is mis-
cellaneous farm products, including
fruits and dairy products, is figured
in, the farmers of the country are
8 better off by not less than 81 $780,
100000 than they were in November,
1921.
Corn Advance
A phenomenal advance in the
price of corn has added about $685.,
100000 to potential wealth to the
farmers of the nation this year. De
partment figures show the average
price on the farm at this time is 62.9
cents bushel, as compared with
Ala cents bushel a year ago. Not
all the big corn crop, however, will
be sold. the great bulk of it going
to hogs and cattle which also are
higher. The bulk of the corn crop
was in the hands of the farmer when
the rise came, so he will share heay
lily in the increase.
The cotton crop of about 10000,
900 bales has enriched the farmers
to the extent of about $3.50, 100000
above the sum received by them for
last years crop. Most of the 1922
crop has been sold and the price is
still rising. 1t has touched % cents
almost everywhere and sales have
been reported as high as q. The
average advance over 1921 however,
the department figures. at 40 cents
pound, or about $24.50 a bale
Wheat prices remain about where
they were a year ago, the farm price
being reported to the department at
81 cents as compared with '94.2
cents a bushel a year ago. Enhance
ment of the wheat crop, according
to this difference, would be about
$25,OOO,OOO.
More than 1,230,000,O00 bushels of
oats were produced this year the de-
partment estimates. If they all
carry the innocent advance which
the department figures has occurred
within the year, the increased value
is about $11O,OOO,OOO.
Farmer as Buyer
The farmer, therefore, in the light
of these figures. appears in the role
of a buyer with 81, 500 900 900 more
to spend than he had last year. Such
is not entirely the case, however, ac-
cording to reports to the department.
The farmer has been in debt, officials
say, for the past two years and is
still heavily in debt. He has more
money with which to pay off his in.
debtedness, but so heavily has he
been hit by postwar def1ation of
values that he cannot square the
account, as a whole, even with the
proceeds Of this years higher crops
Nevertheless, the farmers of the
country may reasonably be expected
not to apply the full increase to
debts, but to spend considerably more
money this year than last, accord
ing to department officials, and to
the extent Of the increase will help
along industrial and commercial
prosperity.
The volume of business remained
virtually stationary at recent high
levels, according to reports to other
agencies of the government during
the past few days.
Wages Advance
The common labor shortage was
reported as becoming aggravated all
over the country and wages have adj
vanced, according to reports to pri-
yate agencies here, from ten to TWEEN
ty per cent in various sections with
in a year.
Car 1oadings continued to vacillate
between $4,000 and 100000 cars a
week, according to returns to the
American Railway association. The
shortage Of cars at the present time
was reported as being the greatest
since the armistice. This compares
with a heavy surplus less than four
months ago.