650 BOAED OF AGEICULTUEE. 



being north and south of the temperate or natural wheat zones, the 

 inhabitants will find it more economical to exchange some of their special 

 products for wheat than to grow it. Thus, while the present area— that is, 

 where wheat may be grown to perfection and profitably— may not be much 

 increased, yet wheat consumption will ever be an increasing factor, due 

 to its introduction into new countries and to an increase in population in 

 countries now regarding wheat as the "staff of life." And it is a notable 

 fact that the increase of consumers in this country is made up largely, if 

 not altogether, of those who do not grow wheat; and this is very probably 

 true of every other country gi'owing wheat on a commercial scale. Hence 

 I believe it safe to predict that the low tide of wheat prices ruling in 

 recent years will never be reached again, unless an abnormally large crop 

 of wheat and demoralizing, idle-making hard times should meet to tem- 

 porarily depress prices; and then the farmer's price per acre, and the idle 

 workman's price per loaf of bread, may be just and satisfactory to both. 



In the northern hemisphere the wheat acreage has probably reached 

 its high limit. In North America, west and northwest of us, the vast areas 

 of virgin soils that for several years have been growing spring wheat on so 

 large a scale and so cheaply, are rapidly becoming exhausted of their soil- 

 binding sod and moisture conserving humus— the accumulation of centuries 

 —which are absolutely necessary in these countries of light rainfall and 

 drying winds to grow wheat profitably at prevailing prices, and when this 

 point is reached, diversified farming, stock raising or abandonment be- 

 comes inevitable. 



In Europe the high limit of wheat acreage has been reached centuries 

 ago, and here Russia is our chief competitor in growing wheat,, both in 

 quantity and quality. Wheat for export, and rye for home consumption 

 for the masses of the people, is the order in Russia. Russia's transcon- 

 tinental railroad traversing southern Siberia, and her Asiatic possessions, 

 opens much country for settlement, but I believe the building of this rail- 

 way was more for military purposes than for agricultural development 

 along the line of wheat growing. 



In the southern hemisphere we need not fear Australia and adjacent 

 islands as formidable rivals in export wheat trade. They are better suited 

 to grow rabbits and other live stock. South America's principal wheat 

 exporting country, Argentine, has probably greater possibilities as a com- 

 petitor of the United States in growing export w^heat than any other 

 country, due to much suitable virgin soil and only a few home consumers; 

 but owing to crude methods of farming and lack of inland transportation 

 facilities, and to the fact that this is an ideal grazing country, and as 

 herding suits the natives better than farming, it is not likely Argentine's 

 increasing wheat supply wiU more than keep up with the ever-increasing 

 demand, hence can not depress prices in a legitimate way, but only as 

 speculator's reports may affect the markets. 



