for a substantial carryover. Even it 

 exports reach the predicted 95 million 

 bushels this year, the carryover on July 1 

 next would be around 100 million bush- 

 els larger than in 1937. The 660 million 

 bushels we consume annually in the U. S. 

 can normally be produced on 36 million 

 acres. 



Sharply lower prices for wheat pro- 

 duced in 1938 are indicated unless the 

 export demand greatly increases (it might 

 if a major war develops) or production 

 abroad greatly declines. A severe drought 

 in the wheat growing areas next year, 

 of course would result in favorable prices. 

 Soybean Outlook 



A fairly good demand for soybean 

 oil and meal but larger supplies in the 

 coming year; such is the outlook as seen 

 by govertmient economists. Soybeans had 

 an unusually favorable market the past 

 season. With a 27 per c^t increase in 

 production, however, and. a heavy gain 

 in cottonseed, prices are expected to run 

 considerably lower in the 1937-38 season. 

 A production next year equal to or only 

 slightly larger than the "37 crop, it was 

 indicated would cause little change in the 

 market situation for soy beans. No 

 marked expansion in production seems to 

 be warranted. 



Clover and Alfalfa Seed 



Production of red clover seed in 1937 

 was the smallest since 1926 because of 

 the drought last year. Only 25 to 35 

 million pounds (estimated) were pro- 

 duced this year compared with the 5-year 

 average (1930-34) of 59,500,000 

 pounds. Production of sweet clover seed 

 in 1937, on the other hand, will run 

 from 52 to 55 million pounds, the largest 

 since 1929. Alfalfa seed of northern 

 origin this year is short, but the decrease 

 was partly offset by increased production 

 in southern areas. The southern grown 

 seed (Texas, Arizona, California) is not 

 suited to Illinois conditions. Price of 

 alfalfa seed to growers on Oct. 5, 1937 

 averaged $24.25 per 100 pounds for 

 common seed — the highest since 1920. 

 Sweet clover seed average was $7.40 per 

 100 lbs. which comptares with $8.15 in 

 1936 and $3.85 for the 5 year average. 

 Growers of red clover seed were offered 

 $30.10 per 100 for clean seed on Oct. 

 12. Alsike seed was around $26.40 per 

 100 compared with the 5 year average 

 p'rice of $13.75. 



Fruit and Truck Outlook 



The largest apple crop in years sent 

 prices sharply lower this year. Exports 

 are expected to be much larger than 

 usual. On Jan. 1, 1935 there were 100 

 million apple trees of all ages reported 

 in the U. S. or less than half the number 

 reported in 1910. Trees of bearing age 

 were reported at 82^ million. Light 

 planting during the past 10 years indi- 



From A Settin' Hen To 



300,000 Chicks a Tear 



"Hi» hatchery 



^^^WENTY-SEVEN years ago 

 ^*-^ John Biehler started a hatch- 

 ^__/ ery business in Shelby coun- 

 • ty, with 1 5 eggs and a settin' hen. As 

 the business grew, John extended op- 

 erations from the wood shed to the 

 bam. Last year he built a new hatchery 

 that has a yearly capacity of 300,000 

 chicks. 



Last year, too, Biehler started to 

 handle Blue Seal feed as a sideline. 

 At first he would not recommend it 

 to his customers — he wanted to 

 test it to his own satisfaction. With 

 him it was a business principle to sell 

 his customers only what he would buy 

 for himself. 



"One day a customer came in to 

 complain about the chicks I sold him. 



lOHN A. BIEHLER 



. farom ih« woodshed to th* bam." 



He said they were so "mealy mouthed' 

 they couldn't swallow. I told him 

 to change feed and asked him to try 

 a dollar's worth of Blue Seal chick 

 starter. He was back the next day 

 for a hundred pounds and he's been 

 using the Blue Seal line ever since," 

 Biehler related. 



He has been urging flock owners 

 who have contracted to sell hatching 

 eggs to him to feed Blue Seal laying 

 mash for better production and better 

 eggs- 



"The Farm Supply Company has a 

 good line of poultry feeds and I'll use 

 them just as long as they keep putting 

 in the same ingredients as they are 

 now." 



cates a further reduction in trees. By 

 1940 there may be only 74 million apple 

 trees of bearing age and by 1945 only 

 66 million. 



The outlook for all fruits combined 

 during the next five years is for heavier 

 production. Consumer buying power will 

 have everything to do with prices and 

 income to growers. Ordinarily very large 

 crops of fruit bring no more or even less 

 than smaller crops. 



Prices for peaches are expected to con- 

 tinue favorable in the years ahead if 

 planting does not expand too rapidly. 

 The number of peach trees in 1935 

 reached the lowest point in several years. 

 It is expected to expand somewhat in the 

 years ahead, 

 consumer buying jjower. Bumper crops 



There has been a marked expansion 

 of commercial truck crops for market 

 since 1919 with the result that there has 

 been a downward trend in value of crops 

 per acre. Here again prices are sentitive 

 to consumer buying power. 



The total supply of canned vegetables 

 for 1937-38 is expected to be 15 to 20 

 f>er cent above that of last year. The 

 supply appears to be larger than neces- 

 sary to provide for domestic needs and 

 will be used to replenish depleted carry- 

 over stocks which reached very low levels 

 at the beginning of the '37-' 38 market- 

 ing year. The desirability of a reduc- 

 tion in 1938 plantings for canneries is 

 indicated. Expected lower consumei 

 purchasing power will be another drag oa 

 canning crop prospects. -.| \ ."■ ^ 



I 



16 



L A. A. RECORD 



DEC 



...v.. '_.^.4.'. .»-.- 



