Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-07-06
AGRICULTURAL,
WHEAT CROP OF 1912.


articles from the Cincinnati Chronicle.
We have recently cited evidence from
various sections in the country TO show
that the crops of this year generally; are
in an uncommonly good condition, and
offer the lairest promise Of abundance so
far as can be known at this period. or
the fruit the same thing is said in all Sec
tions of the country. In this neighbor-
hood the peach trees, (whose fruit is GER
,ainly among the most delicious products
Of nature,) never 10 our remembrance,
looked SO promising.
The most important crop, BY far, in its
general bearing on the susseRance and the
commerce of the country, is that Of WHEAT.
This crop is generally planted in the a,l-
fumn, and so far as its groUth is concern
ed, It's fate is determined by the middle Of
May. The harvesting depends upon the
steadlness of the weather at midsummer.
Unless some improbable state of things is
found to take place between this ard the
2Olh of july y, the wheat will be what it aow
promises to be.
Some estimate may be made Of what
that crop will be from the following facts:
the census act to be little over ninety
millions Of bushels Of whcat. Or this
amount Ohio raised about eighteen millions
of bushels about one fin Of the whole.
The crop Of 1889 was a very good one.
That Of 1910, fair. That Of lSiI, deci-
dedly bad. Since in l84I-2, wheat was,
on the whole, scarce; and flour maintained
higher average than any other article.
The effect Of this on the crop Of 1912 is
undoubtedly to give it an extra INC rcasc by
the stimulus to the farmer in the better
price he received for wheat than for other
articles. The three elements of increase
then TO be taken into view. 1st. The nat
nral increase. ID. The accidental increase
in consequence of an inferior crop last sea-
son. And Sd. The increase arising from a
very superior growth. The natural in
crease is ust equivalent to the increase Of
population, which in three years is II per
cent From the second cause the general
opinion in Ohio is that the farmers have
planted much greater number of acres.
And for the third cause it is known. as we
rema rked, that the crops are in an unusu-
ally good condition. We estimate the two
last causes ofincrcase, as each quite equal
to the first; SO that the increase of the crop
Of 1912 over that Of 1899, can hardly he
less than SO per cent. This added t. the
crop of 1889, will give for the state Of
Ohio about tpenfy.fre millions Of bushels
of wheat. The sWplus produets On this
crop (making the largest allowance for
consumption will be twelve millions Of
bushels.
1t is estimated that large increase OF
this crop will take place in the other north
western States. Thus in Michigan it is
stated that the increase over last year will
be "a per cent, and the surplus crop about
three millions Of bushels. We have seen
no estimate from Indiana and Illinois, but
we suppose the same condition Of things
exists there.
On the whole we may estimate the
wheat crop Of the United States. in 1872,
at one hundred and twenty IriIlions Of
bushels, or thirty millions more than that
OF 1899.
w hat effect this may have on prices is
much more difficult 10 estimate. The do
meStic consumption is nearl fixed guam
tlty, but the demand for foreign consump-
ton, and the quantity Of the currency
(Which if large enables spectators to hold
ovcr) can neither Of them be nOe deter
mined. But the present probability is that
the currency will not be much enlarged,
and that the foreign demand ~iI not be
greater than ii has been. If these ele-
ments turn out TO be so, the price Of wheat
and flour during the coming year. mus, be
quite low.
We find by referring to price current,
that in the spring Of 1910, when the bulk
Of the crop Of 1899 came to market, four
sold in Cincinnati at from s. 90 to 3 90
per barrel, and we should Judge, if no un-
expected misfortune occurs to the crop,
that il will not bring even that in the via
ter and spring OF 1923.