Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-12-10
Gives Information
On Wheat!C Conditions
Throughout World
Montana Expert Sizes Up Situation for
Benefit of State Growers-LOoks
Toward Future OF Industry

BOHEMIAN, Dec. THE wheat stu
alton as it affects Montana and United
States producers is outlined IN the
November Montana Agricultural Out /
look by Paul Carpenter, extension
economist at Montana State College. |
He covers the demand, the supply and
looks toward the future OF the in
dustry.
In discussing the wheat supply, Car
penter points out that it IS fairly con-
slant while production is variable and
for the past few years has been steadily
increasing. This year however the total
world crop is somewhat less than
wear back and is divided as follows:
The United States and Canada to-
pether produced slightly more than
one-fourth of the present crop; all OF
Europe outside Of Russia produced
about one-third, Russia less than one
fourth and India, Argentina and Aus
tralia, combined, produced the re-
mainder
"Of less importance to United States
growers than the total world wheat
crop is the amount that will be avail
able for export by the surplus nations
ON the one hand and the needs OF the
importing countries on the otner,
| Carpenter says. Reserving enough Tor
normal carryover leaves about guy
million bushels for. export. Balanced
against this is the usual bread require
ments of the importing nations. This
! figure is estimated at about 800 million
bushels. in an yevent, the wheat SUP
niles in this and other surplus nations
will be lower next July than last, ne
declares.
Looking forward to 1882 and succeed
ing wears, Carpenter points to the
steady increase in production recently
and directs attention toward the gen.
eral trend. Italy, he says has been max
ing some gains but the rise IN acreage
is slight Spain is enforcing cropping
of land but no great program Tor IN,
creasinp production is underway ana
with the single exception OF Russia,
there IS little prospect that wheat pro-
duction in Europe will increase mate
rally. In support Of this he states ina.
about 20 percent of the cultivated LAND
az Europe is being planted to wnea.
and rye and indicating little Likelihood
, that more OF the bread grains Will &c
crown and Yields maintained lie calls
: attention also to the fact that European
wheat production is not mucn aDovt
40 years ago.
Turning to Argentina, Carpenter says
that the wheat acreage there mas IN
creased about one third in the ~ year:
9 ending 1880, with the total crop aver
7 ap;np somewhat larger than that O
Kansas in recent years. He also IN
q v;tes attention to the Argentine custom
G nf switching from crop to crop depend
y inp upon prices. The cultivated are
G there will raise wheat, CORN oats, par
a lev and flax. The relationship between
wheat prices and prices OF otner cry
|. largely determines production, IN Oh
. opinion u;on
!, Austraha's wheat growing region
: are subjected to greater droutns una
any cultivated section OF the onlts'
= States. Marginal lands have been prog
y en- out Of grass and put to wheat =
i northern part is tropical and canno
crow wheat and the central region
IS ) areal desert perhaps five times N
/ e;7e of Montana" Australian Wnes
/ prospects should not worry Montan
growers, he declares.
Canada has made the most spectao
ular rise in wheat production, ne sla.e
Its production in 1908 was liz Milo
Is bushels and in 1928, the peak yea,
IN production reached SGT million busnel
ID The 1881 acreage dropped below ":
ID and next spring sowings probably WI
I'd be 10 percent less. However, Canada
not through with her wheat expans y,
program, Carpenter points out, but u
rate Of increase doubtless will
much slower in the future. There
little incentive to break out raw liant
70 the rorthward in the prairie pro-
;ncesn A tariff by England, favorab
! "a the dominions should help Canada
and Australian wheat growers at y
IL.