Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-07-02
1887 Is Best Farm Year
Since 1929, 1Babson Says
(Continueo from Page one.)

tractors, take in the county fair, and
have enough left over to do a good
job on the mail-order catalogues. This
season is going to .lbe an extraordinary
one. Not only should wheat continue
to sell we'll above the dollar mark.
butt it looks like the kbest~crcr since
i931-big enough to allow us to ship
wheat abroad for the first time since
that year. This is rare combination.
Not since 1929 have we had both a
good crop and a good price in the
same season.
+ Maybe [ am stressing wheat pros
poets too much, for the income from
this grain represents about 10 per
cent Of our total annual farm income.
It's Importance and popularity arise
from the fact that wheat and cotton
are the farmers outstanding cash pro-
ducts. To the average city person,
wheat is the symbol of "big" Amer
can farming. Actually, the more pro-
sale products, such as corn, milk and
vegetables each bring more money in
to the farmers money bags. But
wheat is the bell-wether of the farm
year. 1t is the seasons ''lead-off"
crop. Usually, "as wheat goes, so goes
the farmer" If we have big winter
wheat harvest, we can ordinarily ex-
pect good feed and forage crops and
plenty Of milk and eggs.
Other Crops In Good Shape.
It is too early to make any de-
finite statements about corn. Planting
was unusually late, but good rains
during the winter and spring have re-
plenished much suD-soil moisture
drained away in the last three years.
July is the critical month for this
vital feed crop: A lot; can happen be-
tween now and August first. Cotton
also has yet to pass through it's test
period. Most of the other leading
crops are now in such good shape
that only extremely poor weather in
July can severely injure them. Pas
lures and ranges alone are below the
average season Truck gardens, fruit
orchards, hay fields, and early po-
tatoes are in good condition. Even egg
and milk production are higher than
usual at this season. This is a farm
year.
Total income of American husband
men in the low year Of the depression
reached only $5,4O0,0OO,OOO Now, four
short years later, average prices are
40 per cent higher than they were at |
the low in 1888. At wholesale, wheat |
is up 40 per cent, corn $50 per cent, |
hogs 27O per cent, eggs and poultry |
120 per cent, and milk and butter 60
per cent. HOusekeepers are well |
aware of this, even though their week |
ly retail bill for goods has not adj
vanced half as much as Wholesale
quotations. The big rise in prices, plus
a good harvest, should boost farm in
come to. around $4,000, 100000 this sea-
son-15 per cent above a year ago,
and the highest total since 1929.
New Groups To Benefit.
Higher prices for their short crops
have pulled most farmers through the
drought years, but the service" peo-
pie. have been hit hard. Commission
houses, grain elevators, storage con-
Germs, and the like are geared to
handle mammoth harvests. They
starve on crop failures. Grain traffic
totals more than 80 per cent @of some
granger railroads revenues A short
crop this year. would have dealt these
roads a death-blow. Then, too, good
harvests everywhere at good prices
mean every one gets his share of the
income. Some sections have not "had
a. CROP since 1881. This year. all
farm areas with the exception of sec n
lions of eastern Montana. the western
Dakotas, west-central Kansas and
Oklahoma, should have i
good harvests.
A bright season for the farmer in
1897 isga particularly fortunate break
for the factoryworker. In all my
vears of studying the business cycle