Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-02-19
Soviet Competition
Not So Serious
National City Bank of New York
Makes Careful Study of Possible
Development in Russia.

he Russian soviet industrial program
viil have on world trade and world
conditions. Much has been written con-
.erning the dumping of wheat on
he world market by the soviet govern
nent and the demoralizing of the mar
xet. In this connection interesting in
formation was recently given out by
The National City Bank of New York
n It's February Letter discussing ma
Iional and world affairs. The Letter
said:
The Moscow correspondent of the
New York Times, under date January
u, 1881, cables to that paper that the
total exports of all Russian grain to
January |, 1851. were 100000 metric
tons. and that 100000 tons remained
available for export The metric ton is
2 .204 lbs. The amount of wheat is not
siven. but the bulletin of the United
States Department of Agriculture,
dated January Is, 1881, gives Russian
wheat exports. July |, 1880 to January
10. 1881, as 72.O80,0O0 bushels. The
Times correspondent says that it IS
the policy Of the Russian government
to hold back part of the grain avail
able for export until it has knowledge
of how the fall-sown crop has come
through he~winter
An interesting article upon the wheat
lands of russia and the development
of mechanical wheat farming on the
State farms, written by Mr.. c. +. Mar
but. Chief of the Division of Soil Sur
veys, United States Department Of
Agriculture, appears in the Geographic
Review, publication of the American
Geographic Society for January, 1881,
The article was written after visit
to Russia in the summer Of 1880.
Mr.. Marbut begins his article with
discussion Of the class of lands suit
able for the production Of wheat. He
SAYS that the best wheat lands are ir
semi-arid regions, which UP to few
years ago were occupied by nomad:
and used very largely for grazing Tht
tremendous possibilities for whea
production in the great grass lane
areas of the world were unknown
The wheat plant is not naturally
! adapted to humid environment.
seems to have developed in dry eli
mate, one that is usually designated a
semi-arid" Such an environment pro
duces a product of very high quail.
ity. The yield, with good supply Q
moisture, is in general larger than il
a humid environment, unless the sol
be well fortified
The grassland areas are especlall,
suited to large scale. mechanical
growing because to a create
extent than in the regions once coveret
by timber they are smooth and un
broken. The top soils are unleached Q
salts necessary for plant food and Q
greater depth than those Of the once
timbered regions. In general they ma
be described as the most productiv
4 soils, as soils, in the world.
In North America the belt Of Ian
answering to his description OF tn
land preeminently suitable for whea
extends north and south betWee
Planview, Texas and Edmonton
Canada, with an outlying area in tn
Peace River country The length
about 1850 miles while the width with
lin the United States varies consider
ably but is greatest at the norther
end. South Of the latitude Of norther
South Dakota it is about 200 miles.
The Russian belt of wheat land rul
east and west from the mouth OF II
Danube to Central Siberia, and
about three times as large as the d.
scribed belt in the United States. Tf
United States has much other lar
that will grow wheat but it will all
grow other crops which is not Il
case with the unoccupled Russi;
wheat lands. There Is no large ar
funoccupied first-class lands in Flu
opean Russian. The Five-Year Pl;
contemplates bringing about 100000
acres into the State wheat farms
1883. AT IL bushels per acre this Wou
weld 3O0,0OO000 bushels
The State farms Of all kinds alrea
planned and in part actually organic
. cover total area of about 10000
, acres. About 100000 acres were
| grain under the grain trust in 10
The largest the Giant" contains AZ
600 acres and had 100000 acres
I. grain in 1880. The crop was about
bushels to the acre. In 1929 the acrea
/, was less and the crop was injured
drought, the average yield being
q bushels. The cost per bushel on
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