Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-06-22
For NE Enquirer.
W wv 1919 g''' ~
THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

Messrs. Editors In recent number ot Your pa
per- noticed there had been sale of some Wheat
at 81 bushel which Thy you or the paper from which
YOU copied it, considered full price propose fo
show to you and especially to the farmers OF this state
that 81 is not very high price; anu those who think
as you do that early sales Will be the BEST VIII hnd
out their error when it is too late to correct il.
Docs a farmer receive Il high price for his Wheat
at S2l Will that pay him as we'll now MS it did ten
years ago when 81 was the average price!
ANY farmer OF experience answer these questions.
That 81 now, is not rs good price rs 81 about ten
years ago. very evident, and car at once he deter
mined il we estimate tho difference III the cost Of
making crop now, and one nunberof years back
In Eastern Virginia land is much higher; consequent
~ who buys farm, pays every year More ih;c-
rest which is an item in his expense account 1hen
pair of mules could be bought for from SO 10 Sl3o;
now they cost from $500 10 SliO, three times what
they could have been bought for ten years ago. La-
borcrs for farm could then be hired for S6) or I0
(not ordinary but good hands;l now, we pay from
Si2n to $50 for each. Farmers then applied such
u,auure'n us they usually collect about their stables and
farm yards, for which they paid not one dollar now
they are buying guano at $50 for the ton Of 2OGOlbs
Calculate the difference i'll tho cost OF labor, tean
land aud manures and then tell me, if wheat is high
er now ut 90, than il was then AT 81 Are not some
of these things, (which the farmer must navel threc
times Us high now they were then! Does the
farmer receive three.times as much Tor his wheat -
| Certainly not al 81 per bushel.
There appeared i'll your paper: some time last year
IN ube article, written by the Hon W. Newton upon
taken the above calculation. feeling confident that
every Turner in Virginia will acknowledge that what
was then written by Mr. Newton, are facts not 10 be
overlooked at this time.
The press of our country, especially in our largest
cities have beeu for nearly year, very imdusir'2a-
in attempts to show ihut tremendous crops OF corn nt
wheat are made, aud that prices are enormous
this too when wheat, last year, was selling at FROM
| 81 is to 81 GO per bushel.
Why is it the newspapers Of our country are endca.
yorg TO make it appear that very large crops "i
| wheat and corn IRE made, when such statements Hre
| not maintained by the factsl Are they influenced to
do so BY speculatorsl Suppose all the farmers III this
Stnte were 20 send, at very early date their crops
of wheat to market. At once every newspaper would
assert that there all abundant crop prices would
decline, and mauy poor farmers would sell Their crops
for 81 81 to 81 Co. was the case last year Ihoa
sands and tens OF thousands bushels al wGnt 'Tart
sent to lnarket--the people made believe that tho
| price was highland sold for 81 81 to 81 co. WHO
profited by tho loss of the farmer, who would have
ceived 81 Is to 81 % per bushe 1t he had MOI beer
induced from such statements to believe tho NC c"io
not get any nnrcl Let the farmers OF o"r Snte espt
cally look well TO this thing, and DO not deceived
Ihupe they will not be induced TO sell toreren 81 be-
cause some man thinks proper to state that tIret
times more wheat has been seeded this year, or as
fall, than there the year previous. From all
| can learn, az IS not so.
a great many farmers expected to seed May wheat
but the drought of lust summer and fall prevent.
them from doing aud those who did Seed had then
crops very much impaired from seeding too late. II
them there is much wheat made the present us there
last year, the farmers will M doubt ba well sa!i>
fed. have been induced to write the above III jas
tico the farmers Of our own State whose welfare
have no doubt, you feel lively interest. hope
then, in justice to them, you will give this place IN
your paper. May express the hope that YOU viii
make farther inquiries into this matter TO to tho
Secretary oil the State Agricultural Society, and, liz
doubt you will obtain reliable information, but do
not ,mqH"r y SPECTATORS
Let not the farmers who sold 30 cheap last year. be
again deceived tllis. desire to see ali have fan
chance. Farmers seldom rut very high prices. only
once in many years, and # they are h'gh want then
not TO be- deceived, aud sell for less thun they other
wise could get to tho advantage of speculators, and
| no one else Yours, &c, CHESAPEAKE.