The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-08-31
WHAT'S THE NAT
TER WITH WHEAT!

! w IL" w
The following article, from THE
Agricultural Review" published
monthly by the International Con-
gress of Farmers, will undoubtedly
be interesting to all our readers, and
more especially those interested in
agriculture:
| The movement recently started for
the purpose of increasing the con-
sumption of wheat, together with the
revived effort to bring about price
fixing or sterilization by the govern
ment of the United States, has en-
phasized and brought to the attention
of the entire country situation which
was already well known to many peo-
iple.
The wheat belt is sick. It's farm
ers are distressed by the low COM
parative price of their chief product
and by the increased production ana
marketing costs. The reaction upon
Jail agriculture, and consequently up
on all business interests, is unmis-
takably bad. This reaction extends
far beyond the confines of the wheat
belt proper. 1t constitutes a national
problem-economic, Industrial and
political.
Wheat is quite generally considered
as the "key crop"-the standard by
which agricultural prosperity, and In
directly the general business welfare,
are measured. The situation calls
for the earnest consideration Of all
wheat growers and of all business IN
terests.
The question is, what is the matter
with wheat?
The answer is obvious. There Is
too much wheat. The agriculture Of
the wheat belt has drifted dangerous
ly toward a one-crop basis. It is out
Of balance There are too many farms
that bring in little revenue except
the annual check for the wheat crop.
The very soil is tired and its tillers
are worn out by the hopeless effort
to make more acres Of wheat spell
more dollars.
The time has definitely passed when
wheat can carry all the overhead OF
an average American farm, supply
the family Of the owner or renter with
money to buy the food supplies for
the year, and pay the cost Of its own
production and marketing. That
time may never come-certainly It
will not until the United States ceases
to be a wheat exporting nation, for
the domestic price is based on the
world price, and protective measures
are proving at best only partially eff
fective. The American farmer can
not successfully compete with the
cheap land, cheap labor and water
Of other countries, I'M
less he can take a large part Of the |
cost of operating his farm off Of hts
wheat crop.
Hope of relief through government
tai price fixing is based on false
,heory. Nothing can come Of 1t. The
movement to stimulate consumption
nay bring some results, but there rs
possibility that it will also encOur-
lge additional production, thus on
setting any good it may do. The ex-
,ansion of credit facilities, while
roper and useful will not Of itself
correct the trouble, nor will any leg
slative enactments.
The fundamental trouble must be
corrected. Nothing else will be ef-
ective, or prevent periodic recur-
ences of the present situation. There I
5 no necessity for experiments OF
ny sort-economic, political or by q
ray of trying out new crops or new
arming practices. 1t has been album =
antly proven that this very region O
} which the conditions under dis C
ussion apply is susceptible to safe
ystem of crop Investigation ana
vestock production. All that IS d
eeded is a program, generally ap-
lied, which will bring revenue
very week in the year to supplement- y
lie wheat check. Poultry, dairy COWS
nd other livestock will do this. Such l.
program will provide IL months
nployment on the farm instead of .
70. The resultant lessened produc- .,
on of wheat will cause an increase |.
price in conformity with the law :
supply and demand.
At the seventeenth annual session e
the International Farm Congress- e
America, to be held at Kansas e
ity October 10, II and IL, this prob +
m will receive special attention, ana :
movement launched which will, with =
,oper cooperation, start the agricui- =
re Of the wheat belt definitely to- =
ard the only basis upon which it can &
stand. II