The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-09-25 00:00:00

YIELD OF THE WHEAT -CROP IN
AMERICA.

The Times of Tuesday published the following :
Sir,—l have read with much interest the various corre-
spondence in The Times regarding the average yield of
wheat in the United States, and am of the opinion that the
views of Mr. Williamson, Mr. Molyneux St. John, and others
are somewhat nearer the mark than those of Messrs. Read
and Pell. I should be inclined to think that the quantity
given by the latter, say 12 bushels per acre, is perhaps about
the average of the less important wheat producing districts.
As to the average of all the fields, these figures are certainly
too small. • I enclose you a statement from the Pioneer Press
of St. Paul," Minnesota, an exceptionally well-informed
journal, on the subject, so far as regards Minnesota.—l am,
Sir, your obedient servant, L. E. DYER, United States Consul,
United States Consulate, Odessa, Russia, Sept. 13.

"Minnesota Grain Crop.—St. _ Paul, Minnesota,
Aug. 18.—The Pioneer Press will print to-morrow an
editorial review of the acreage and yield of the Wheat
crop of 1880, based upon information received from
several independent sources, including returns from
many thrashings. The acreage sown to wheat is a
little less than 3,000,000, and the yield per acre is esti-
mated at 15 bushels, in the following way :—ln the
south-eastern counties, between the lowa and Minne-
sota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul
Railroad, where chinch-bugs have caused some injury,
the average will be 12 bushels ; west of here and south
of the Minnesota river, the same conditions prevail,
but the area of territory affected is smaller, and the
average yield will be 14 bushels ; in the central belt of
counties, north of the Minnesota, the yield will vary
from 17 bushels in low ground to 18 on high, with an
average of 17 bushels. In the Red River Valley and
Northern Pacific country the average yield will be at
least 20 bushels, and east of the Mississippi 15. The
average for the whole State will be 15 bushels. The
whole yield will be about 45,000,000 bushels. The
yield of oats for the season is estimated at about
27,600,000 bushels ; of corn, 13 560,000 bushels; and
of barley, 3,186,000 bushels, making the total crop of
Minnesota this year nearly 90,000,000 bushels."

The Tinies has also published the following letter :

. Sir,—lf the following figures will help to throw any
light on the subject of probable wheat competition
they may, I 'think, be relied upon as being correct.
They are taken from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, one
of the principal newspapers of Minnesota :—" The
United States Government sales of land along the line
of the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway
for the first six months of the current year were 5,828
entries, taking 828,300 acres." The sales of the lands
of the St. Paul,. Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway
Company during the same period were 155,672 acres,
• making a total for the half-year of 98 3,972, or nearly
one million acres. I have not yet seen the figures
from other parts of the State, the above referring
mainly to the Red River Valley and its immediate
neighbourhood. Little or none of this land can, of
course, contribute to the 35 or 40 million bushels of
wheat computed as the Minnesota yield for this year.
—Yours, obediently, MOLYNEUX ST. JOHN.
Liverpool, Sept. 20.

. THE PREMlER.—Hawarden Church was crowded at
morning and evening services on Sunday by congre-
gations drawn from Chester, Hawarden, and the
country side, in the expectation that Mr. Gladstone
would attend for the first time since his return. In
this they were not disappointed. The Prime Minister
was present at both services, accompanied by Mrs.
Gladstone, Mr. W. H. Gladstone, M.P., and the
Hon: Mrs. Gladstone, Mr. Herbert Gladstone, M.P
and the Misses Gla.dstone. Mr. Gladstone, who looked
remarkably well after the few days spent in retire-
ment at the castle, read the lessons for the day. The
Hon. and Rev. A. V. Lyttleton preached in the morn-
ing, and in the evening the Rev. Mr. Oakley, of St.
Sagioueo, Hixtopi
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