The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-31
Farm, Prices

tATm IIICeS
A sharp advance occurred in the
price Of cotton from August to Sep
TENDER and IA seasonal advance took
place with hogs, butter and eggs.
The index of farm products stood at
140 per cent Of prc-war average
September Is.
The index of crop prices Of prod
ucts produced in North Dakota de-
creased 20 points since July, stand
ing at 129 per cent Of pre-war level
on Sept. Is. Livestock prices IN
North Dakota advanced, however. l
points ito reach 1856 per cent on Sept.
rs. Hogs and steers were the chief
advancing commodities.
Business Conditions
Little change is expected in gcner-
al business activities during the next
month with possible tendency
downward in general industrial ac-
tivities as a. whole. Steel and iron
production, as we'll as automobile
production. continued slight decline
through the past month.
Wheat
The expected drop in the price Of
wheat has occurred and there seems
little likelihood of much further
change. Reports from 33 countries
indicate an increase of eight per cent
in production. The average farm
price of wheat in North Dakota on
Sept. Is was $1.l5 and it has since
declined. The price of amber durum
wheat has averaged about 10 cents
below No. l dark northern for the
past three weeks or more. 1t seems
unlikely that a further spread be-
tween hard wheat and durum will
take place immediatel.'
Rye
The price Of rye has dropped from
Il high point of SO cents at Fargo in
September, to 76 and n cents
through the first two weeks in DC
tober. With an increasing amount
of wheat appearing as world crop.
Il large increase in rye III the United
States, and IA per cent increase in
the rye crop of the world over a year
ago. there seems small likelihood Of
advances Immediately.
Flax
The average farm price of flax in
North Dakota on Sept. Is was $1.9G
and this price has receded since that
time to approximately $l.SS which
is the lowest price for flax in many
months.
! The flax crop in the United States
is placed at slightly over "a million
bushels compared to about Is IL
million bushels last year. The North
Dakota flax crop is placed at $780,
600 bushels compared to 100000
bushels in 1926. Should building OPP
crations continue to defines in vol
ume the demand for linsecd in the
United States will doubtless be
somewhat curtailed which is an add
ed bcarish factor on flax prices.
Oats
Little change has occurred in the
general price level of oats in North
Dakota for several months. The av-
crage price of oats in North Dakota
on Sept. Is was 33 cents and remains
about at that level at the present
time.
Barley
The United States barley crop cx-
ceeds that of last year by about Is
million bushels. The barley crop in
North Dakota on Oct. l was esti-
mated at - million bushels COM
pared TO Il million bushels last year
and compared to a fivc-ycar average
Of 20 million bushels.
Potatoes
The fall to spring trend Of potato
prices will doubtless depend largely
upon the rate of marketing that
takes place. The Oct. l estimate Of
United States production of potatoes
is 395 million bushels, which is about
40 million bushels more than last
year but almost exactly the five-year
average. Local quotations at Moor
head lately have been around SO
cents a bushel.
Marketing of potatoes this fall has
been considerably more rapid than a
year ago. The number Of car loads
shipped out of North Dakota from
Sept. ID - Oct. S totale 2,45O, COM
pared to 1924 carloads for the same
| period in 1926. For the United
States, shipments up to Oct. / have
been slightly over $4,000 cars COM
pared to 10000 cars IA year ago.
When marketings are large in the
fall prices are usually forced down,
consumption increased, and the
spring rise in prices is greater than
normal. If shipments are light in
the fall and heavy in the spring the
reverse is true.
Beef Cattle
Present Indications are that the
price level of beef cattle will be well
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