THE WHEAT CROP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 127, 22 February 1919, Page 10

THE WHEAT CROP

,'". ■[:' QUESTION OF PRICE. • : Estimates"nrepared by the Agricultural; Department, on .the : .of -'the'.- field inspectors', reports,.give-., .the 'average, wheat yield for-the-.present season ■■ as.; 28.31 bushels per acre. The detailed, fig-' ■■' 'ures were- published.; in: yesterday's - v Dominion. The price '.paid- to the: farmer| ' 'underlie"arrangement already announced is to 1)6 6s. 6d. per bushel, f.o;b., for good ..'milling wheat. ' ' / ';• . ' The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon., W. D. S. Mac Donald) stated.-yesterday; .in answer to a question ;on ; ,th.e ; subject,* that he believed' the ..price; -.would- be- a"profitable one', to .the gro'weM; ; '.The; ppsi-. ■.- tion cpuld be, understood better; if the! 'present'estimated;yield.andjhe Gqvern-j ment guaranteed'price' were -compared; 'with the figures for-precedingyears..The. yields and prices ;'fpr. the last; eight yearshad been as follow;—'-:' '':':-.}.\. .''.':'■■[>■ ' ■! '■'.'..' Average Average price! ■'■•".'■' Tear.'■'.'■':'• .-'■ yield. . -'-'8.: d;-..'.'';' -".- ■■: -'•■ : ,.' : '-19ia-11".i.i..i..v;.?25.75."."'-. '":'S'.-6i''. "''■■,'■; ••■V. 1911-12'<;; : :.'.i....:.':33'.69.''■■■■•-.' 3.8 - ',; ■ : 1912-13;;.,:...;..., 27.28 ": B" :■• '•'\ 27.28 -v ; /.;4;5.'..'. ; ..-':■ '1914-15'.'..;.* 28.94 ■'-> v..:6,2-:.::■' ■ '•::. 191W6 ..:::.:..... 21.59 :■,:■ ww :r ' ■-. ■"■■:''■ -1916-17 ..;;:.;..;;. 23.19- ; ', 5 9:: s ; " .'•••"' 1917-18■;.-.■..!:...,. 24.23// .'■ V 6-■* :'..;f • It did•not.appear; in-the face-of .these; • figures,., that ; tl)j. producers ;were badly 1 . treated-whenitheyigot 6s. 6d.'per bushel' . with an : average yield of over 28 bushels.; ':■■'■. ~iln'the course'.of in the. '. House' .of; Representatives last session, -the Minister -pf Agriculture "quoted some; . figures prepared..by "the .'direotor'iof..Lin-' coin .Colleg'e'.regartUng.the,. cost ;of-.pro--director-estimated.- , that after."allowing.':for .all-',ch'arges,"; in-.. Eluding interest rates,allowance for farm Luildjngs, tillage, . thrashing, etc., the. cost of. a 25-bushel ; crop of wheat was £8 3s.- per acre, or 6s. 6d. per bushel; and of a 40-bushel :. crop £$ 14s. per acre/or about ss. per , It appears that on this basis the '; margin of profit on a 28-buijhel crop at • - 6s. 6d. would ;riot be large.