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The wheat situation * The wheat crop now being harvested in 

 Illinois is the smallest since 1912— 30 years ago. In that year we har- 

 vested only a little more than 10 million bushels • This year the crop 

 is estimated to be about 19 million bushels. Bad weather at seeding time 

 and too much moisture this spring have both operated to reduce this crop. 

 It is a strange comparison with the last war when every effort was made 

 to get more wheat grown. In I919 the farmers of this state raised 70 

 million bushels. No one, except the man who has a poor acre yield and 

 thus will have low returns for his labor and land, is much disturbed 

 about our short wheat crop in this state. The reason for this is well 

 understood: This nation has more wheat than it knows how to use. We 

 had a carryover on July 1 of about 630 million bushels. The new crop 

 will raise the total supply to about 1,500 million. 



Last year we thought we had a burdensome supply — it amounted tc 

 1,330 million bushels. During the 10-year period, 1931-19^0, the annual 

 disappearance of wheat averaged 6gS million bushels. This year we may 

 use more than 700 million. Our present stock represents about two years' 

 supply. Until the war ends, there is little prospect for exports. Feed 

 use will likely increase, although the loan will hold the price of v/heat 

 too high for it to be used freely as a feed. 



The government has been making an effort to sell wheat for 

 feed from its loan stocks. Up to early June about 32 million bushels 

 had been sold — a little more than a million bushels a week since the 

 program was begun. In relation to the quantity involved, this is 

 "chicken feed." Since February about 2.5 million bushels have been sold 

 for alcohol production. This wheat sales program is now involved in a 

 deadlock in Congress; the Senate voted to authorize sale of 125 million 

 bushels of wheat for feed and as much as can be moved for alcohol. The 



