Evening star., 1931-06-16
Wheat Crop and Farm Board
Arouse Interest of Nation

Prospects for the farmers Of the
United states are uppermost in the pub
lie mind as Developments affecting the
wheat market come in rapid succession.
estimates Of crops IN this country and
Canada are studied, while the effect of
abandonment Of buying by the Farm
Board is a subject Of discussion, and
co-operatives are declared to be the
most potent friends Of the procedure.
"A bull1sh surprise to the market" is
the comment OF the Wall Street Journal
en- the Official crop report ON Winter
and Spring wheat conditions as of
June /. That paper advises that 'the
report can be construed as indicating
a total wheat crop. 10000, 900 bushels
less than the average of the private
crop experts estimates a week ago."
The Journal states: THE large carry
over OF a year ago will undoubtedly be
considerably exceeded this year, so on
paper today our wheat supply Is ac-
tually larger than in 1880. There are
other things. however. that give the re.
port d decidedly bullish hue. Condi-
ton OF the Spring wheat crop was re.
ported at 67.9, compared with 85.7 a
year ago and a 10-year average Of S6.2.
The present figure is the lowest ever
reported, and is result Of drought.
There is an absence Of subsoil moisture
and unless there are frequent rains
through the Summer the crop will not
be able to stand up. Also. the Cans.
dian government report on Spring wheat
Is the lowest recorded and suggests q
crop of 285, ,000, 900 bushels, or 05, 900 900
less than the production of 1890. Rains
have been reported In parts of Western
Canada. but the situation there is still
uncertain. Even with favorable weather
from now on until harvest. the hard
Spring wheat production Of the two
countries will be much below normal" :"
1" ~
Discussing the tendencies In the
Southwest. the Houston Chronicle de-
clares: Government reports indicate
that the wheat production Of Texas,
Oklahoma and Kansas this year will be
close to 10000, 900 bushels. About
June 20 the harvest will get under way
In Texas, the area visited by the COM
bines gradually extending northward.
Last season the product of the South.
west was about II ,000, 900 bushels less.
While Canada is finding its output cur
tailed. while the northern part of the
United States finds its wheat dry and
needing moisture, the Southwest'S pro-
duction boonls. A big crop even at a
low price appeals to the farmers Of this
section who can raise wheat so much
more cheaply than their CANADIAN
cousins. But every time they get q
good price, they increase their acreage
and that way lies ruin. II the tend
ency to grow bigger and better wheat
crops in the Southwest persists, we win
have to establish a national wheat
week as well as national cotton week.
Speaking Of those who have been
steadily hoping that the farmers would
curtail acreage sufficiently to reduce
the surplus stocks that have both
plagued the Farm Board and demoral-
ized large number of farmers for q
long period, the Providence Journal
concludes: There is still time for the
picture to change further, either for
better or for worse. What the ultimate
results for this seasons harvest NAV
be are conjecturai now. and WIN be for
several weeks to come" The Spring.
field (Mass) Union thinks: There is
some reason for hopefulness in the
prospects of somewhat reduced Spring
wheat crop in this country and crops
considerably below the average In some
of the other countries. It has been re-
marked that about the only thing that
could save the Farm Board from its
commitments is a general failure Of the
worlds wheat crop. There are indi-
cations that the world crop may not be
up to last year, but few indics tions that
conditions win be such as to enable the
Farm Board to dispose Of its surplus
except at . considerable loss. Mean