Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1925-07-09


which did not cover the cost OF production. If
corn growers had been organized and found that
the market would not receive their corn at what
II cost them to produce II they would not have
dumped the larger part of the crop upon the mar
ket In a few brief months They would have sold
sparngly. They would have stored the remainder
knowing full well that OF bountiful produc
ton always followed by seasons OF low pro-
duction, and that at distant day they would re-
ceive profitable price for their corn. As It WAS
only few Of the corn farmers were able TO hold
their corn for the higher prices which they had
rightly anticipated and which were later received.
OF course. even IL organized. they could not
have expected to receive as much per bushel for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT crop as for a 2,400,O000O0-
bushel crop. They would doubtless have asked
somewhat smaller price, but they certainly would
have asked prce-and have received it--whlch
would have made the SOO0.O00OO0 bushels OF corn
worth more to them than the very next year ,400-
100000 bushels OF poor corn actually brought In
the market
IN other words the corn farmers II organized
would have adjusted the supply to the actual de-
mand. And they would have made this ADJUST
ment before the price became demornlized In
fact the adjustment was made later but only
after the great bulk OF the crop had left the farm
ers hands. II cannot too often be stated that the
supply Of any commodity which affects the price
is not the entire stock Of the commodity in exist
ence. but only that portion Of II which IA offered
for sale at given price.
And so, II the dairy farmers had some way by
which they could have taken last year the incubus
OF 60,O00OO0. at the outside 100,OO0OO0 pounds
OF butter of the market Il is almost certain Ia
the opinion Of experts that this depression in the
great dairy Industry would NOT have occurred. n
IN other words. this added $1,000 O00--or II you
please, 100000 OO0-pounds OF butter had been
purchased at cost say. OF s50.OO0O00 and stored
by the farmers themselves, awaiting a season Of
less luscious grasses, the dairy farmers OF America
would have received return upon their large
investment and their labors many million dollars
more than they actually did receive
And so say this report from the Department
Of Agriculture dscoses very perplexinR facts
Now. produce both corn and milk upon my farm.
! feed the larger part Of my corn in the form OF
sflage to my COWS. sell IL, therefore In the form
OF milk. l receive considerably less for It than /
did year ago. And these glowing figures OF
the increased value Of the corn crop over which
the financial writer's OF the great metropolitan
daiIes gioat do not comfort me much I am in
deed puzzled TO know what 10 do have been
taught that TO produce 90 bushels OF corn 10 the
acre is a finer achievement than TO produce az
ike TO see the milk pail trimming full with sweet
pure milk. But when see IS bushels OF corn
worth more than 90 bushels Of corn. and when
zee the milk pail but two-thirds full worth more
than the Drumming pail Of another year. become
confused and hardly know what to do
Last summer the cotton crop, particularly IN the
Southwest was sufferiHg severely for lack Of ratn
And then one day the heavens opened and the
aims descended. AS a result. the government which
before had estimated the crop At IL 100000 bales
increased the estimate 20 100000 bales Tht~
vas an Increase OF less than per cent In the Weld
md yet because OF this estimated increase Enc
rice declined in the market 20 per cent Thss
meant that the total crop Of the larger eafIr,ata
vas worth less in the market BY ss00O00OO0 than
ne crop by the lesser estimate. And vet NJ fhss
cry time the world needed cotton as n had not
eeded IT before since the Civil war Ana fbts
arnd0x was the result OF timely rnfn
Now there is no music sweefer 20 NV ,nnyu t,,.,.
he pafter Of raindrops upon the roof breaksnv !
rought in the summer time, and yet TO save INV
fe i cannot tell whether that rain "a 4 EKaet ana
ragrmnt bearer 81 beneAf--or banhruufrV rpkar
be hot summer winds sc0rch the fields I do roe
now whether to pray for rain or 70 thank the Al.
iEghfy fer the nnbroken drought
Something il wrong with our methods a. ,u.~
citing when the aggregate money vaIue Of 4 fayany
-op Of prime necessity ie smaller Than me vaIue
smaller crop. There are nnfoad ff0unnnan ~
en- and women and chlldren wshO need mora eoas
D to ei0the them than Is produced in tire porgd
day TO say. thefefore. that 1Z,40000O bales ~
,kfou are worth more than 18000OO0 bales a "a
,ndemn q system Of marketing whleh 10 meas
re- vnIue