Imperial Valley press., 1926-12-09
MORE PLENTIFUL
CROPS BUT OF
POORER QUALITY
Purchasing Power of
Farm Products Drops
to New Low Mark.

Total crop production this year is
;,bove the average in quantity but
below the average in quality, says
the department of agriculture in its
December report on the agricultural
situation released today.
The department 5 index of pur-
chasing power of farm products IS
placed at 81 for October, Il new low
for the season. compared with q
prc-war base Of 100.
Total production of all ,rops, ac-
cording to the report, is apparently
about 3 per cent larger than last
year s, and in proportion to the ma
tion s population about "a per cent
above the average per capita pro-
! duction of the last five years. The
composite quality of Is important
crops, excluding cotton, fruit, winter
wheat and sweet potatoes, appears
to be about D per cent below the
last 10-vear average.
The drop in the purchasing power
index to 81 for October is attribut-
cd in part to lowered cotton prices,
although the downward trend,
/ says the department, is not explain
able in terms of any single crop
Some products are showing good re-
turns this year and some exceeding
/ ly poor. 1t is, perhaps, roughly ac-
curate to say that the season has
been favorable to livestock produc
crs as a whole, but it has brought
encouragement to growers of such
important cash crops as cotton
fruit and spring wheat
Discussing conditions in the south
the report says:
Cotton Situation Still Looms
"The cotton situation still looms
| large. The cotton market has stead
led in recent weeks and is seeming
ly adjusting itself, with minimum
fluctuation to the prospect of large
supplies. Reports Indicate that am
pie credit is available to prevent
any general forced liquidation by
growers. SO far as this season S
crop is concerned, it would appear
that the South is in position to send
it to market in orderly fashion, and
! so realize as good 4 return as pos
sible in view of the general supply
and demand situation.
"CottOn exports from August /
to mid November ran about 1000
| bales ahead of the same period last
year, and domestic mill consumption
was around 175,CO0 bales greater.
Stocks of cotton goods are low. The
general demand situation is reason
ably strong. But the climax chap
ter in this cotton story remains to
| be written next year. In the cotton
situation there is Il clear warning
for next year.
"Cheap cotton has its reactions
in other fields. Cheap cottonseeG
means lowered price scale on coI.-
centrated feeds; such feeds for 4
| typical dairy ration now show the
lowest price index in four years. 1t
means competition for lard, so much
so that lard now sells down near the
same price per pound as the live
! hog. 1t may have some meaning for
| wool growers. Cotton and wool prize
cs usually move in fairly close r.
lationship but in recent months cot
ton has been selling at consider
able disparity. This fact, coupled
with the evidences of steady expan,
sion in breeding flocks throughout
the west, may we'll have some atten-
tion from sheep raisers who are dis
posed to look ahead.
The movement of wheat to mar
ket during October is reported as
slightly larger than in the same
month last year, but below the Oc'
tober movement in other recent
years. Considerably more corn came
tC market than during October in
recent years. Hog and cattle re-
ceipts showed seasonal increase
but were slightly below October
last year. Butter receipts were
somewhat below last years.