The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-09-21
Dice Of Death Start
Gambling By Farmers


While Europeans are tossing dice
with death, many Ohio farmers are
preparing to take a gamble which |
appears likely to be losing venture
unless economic laws are repealed by
mass hysteria of the worlds inhabit-
ants, according to DIR. V. R. Wertz,
rural economics department, Ohio
State University.
DR.. Wertz says it may be possible
that mathematics are blown out the
window when wars start, but it is a
matter of historical record that num-
erals have their old values when
wars end. The Ohioans who are
betting their judgment against sta
tistics are the farmers who expect to
abandon their planned crop schedules
to plant an unusual amount of
wheat this fall.
These farmers give two reasons
for believing that extra acres of
wheat will be profitable; first, rapid
increases in grain prices occurred
Immediately after this war began;
and second, wheat prices started up
| ward in 1916 and continued to rise
until pegged at bonanza figure.
The University statistician believes
that such increases as may occur in
grain prices are no more than the
farmer deserves, but he doubts if
the planting of markedly increased
acreage of wheat is the proper
method to add dollars to the 1910
Ohio farm income. He has several
reasons for doubling that unusually
large wheat harvest next year will
be profitable for its producers.
The chief reason he gives is that
the granaries of the world already
are bursting with the largest stocks
of wheat that have been known since
records were kept. The world price
of wheat in Liverpool in July was
| the lowest on record since Queen
Elizabeth ruled England.
A second reason for doubling the
advisability of increasing wheat
acreages in the United States is that
consumption of wheat does not in
crease in time of war although
prices may rise if supplies fall to
normal or below. Any unwarranted
rise in wheat and flour prices in the
United States is certain to be met by
resistance from consumers.
The price of American wheat did
rise during the first year of the
World War but the main difference
in the situation that year and in
1889 is that world wheat supplies
were 3,500,000,000 bushels in 1914
and are 5,300,000,000 bushels in 1889.
European countries now are well
supplied with wheat for the coming
year.
If the war continues two or more
years, world wheat supplies will be
reduced and the price in this country
will rise. During the World War, it
was two years after hostilities be-
gan in Europe before a wheat short
age developed and sent prices sky
ward. Such contingency can be
foreseen far enough in advance to
give ample warning of the need for
larger wheat acreages.
Farmers who step up wheat pro-
duction in 1910 will lose any benefits
they might have received by staying
within their allotted wheat acreage.
Loans on wheat, crop insurance on
an average yield, and payments to
bring the price of wheat nearer to
parity with prices for goods bought
by farmers will be sacrificed.
Ohio farmers lay their own bets
on crop and livestock production,
but the extension service of the state
is charged with the responsibility of
warning them if it appears likely
they are placing wagers on horse
which will go lame in the first