Evening star., 1927-12-07
GOOD CHRISTMAS
SEEN|NNORTHWEST
Farmers Able to Buy-Better
Crops and Dairy Products
Are Answer.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, December 7.-For
years the farmers of this country have
been able to do little more at this time
of year than look at the mail.order
catalogues and wish. Today they are
able and willing to buy and are COM
ing into the market for supplies and
commodities they have needed and
wanted for years.
This is specially noticeable in the
Northwestern States. Purchases in
the Northwest are being made at the
rate of about S1.100, 100000 month,
according to bank clearings in the
principal cities there.
The prices for grain have not been
specially satisfactory, but the crops
have been, and the farmers, having
turned a good part of their receipts
into payment of debts and back taxes,
are ready to make this real holiday
season.
Montana's Year Record.
Montana mas just completed the
greatest agricultural year the State
has ever known. In North Dakota
the trend is plainly shown by sales
of lands for farming purposes, which
have involved 100000 acres valued at
more than $5,000,000. Many farmers
in that and other States are buying
the lands they have been renting or
occupying as tenant farmers.
In Minnesota the dairy industry has
served to supplement the receipts for
grain to an astonishing degree, with
income from this source for the year
placed at STA. 4.101 600. or more than
that from corn, wheat and oats COM
bined In the Northwest marketingS
of crops for the first three months OF
the season aggregated $220,000,000.
Sales of farm implements in the
Northwest have increased since har-
vest by 25 to 33 per cent as compared
with four months ago. Marketings of
rye. flax and potatoes have been near
ly double those of the late months of
1926. The fax crop alone has brought
S50,000,000 in new wealth into the
Northwest, an increase Of about 80
per cent from last year. The crop was
4,321 900 bushels above the average,
and prices, while not so high as in
some years, have averaged better than
$2.20 bushel.
Mill Center Helped.
The prompt movement of grain has
had most stimulating effect on mill
ing activities in the flour producing
centers. Mills have been operating
about 20 per cent nearer capacity this
year than last. Bank deposits are ris-
ing throughout the agricultural re-
gions. In addition, farmers are bor-
rowing large sums for the purpose of
financing the fattening of live stock,
and with the present price situation
of the feed crops and the live stock
markets, these operations promise to
be exceptionally profitable.
In general, the agricultural situa-
ie Sef,f
have experienced hardships in the
shape of floods and bad weather. Some
farmers have not marketed at the
right time. Others have let costs run
high. but in general the situation
Is better than a year ago. This
means that rural business is good.
1t is good not only for the farmer,
but for the manufacturer and mer-
chant, since the farmer is their best
customer.
Trouble Not Over.
This does not mean that the farm
er's troubles are over. He still has
them in quantities, but it does mean
he wants to buy and can pay. The
great difficulty both for farmers and
distributors comes in those periods
when the farmer has to buy and can.
not pay. Moreover, the volume of
KARIN money coming IN has not
ceased. 1t is just commencing to flow
into growers of citrus fruits, and Win
ter vegetables and garden truck in
the South and on the Pacific Coast.
Agriculture has lost thousands of
those who formerly followed this line
of endeavor, and with them has gone
valuable asset in experience and
farm knowledge. Strong efforts are
being made to make rural life more
attractive. The move toward the use
of. labor-saving equipment has been
exceptionally marked this year, and
50 has the electrificati ton of the farms,
but the effort to convince the farmer
that he is or can be or wants to be
white collar" worker seems
doomed to an early and definite
failure.