Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-11-03
SATURDAY AoRNING, NOVEMBER 5. 1855
Wheat, Flour, &c.

is all times the duty Of the Journalist to give
to his reaels the best lights upon any question af
feetins their interests, which may be accessible to
him, aud we have endeavorel to keep our readers
advised from time to time of the mutations in the
prices of the various staple products of the cOun-
Try. For some weeks past speculation has been
rife as to the probable tendency in the price of
flour, and we have witnessed wheat reaching the
unusual price of $3.50 per bushel, while corn, IFS
kindred cereal, is easily bought through the coun-
Try at 80 cents per bushel or $3.50 per barrel, be-
ing 10th the price OF barrel of flour. Can this
state ofthings continue? This is question which
our farmers should ask themselves, and which they
should answer and act upon; and while we pretend
not to any superior knowledge of the subject We
may express our views, such as they are, and ask
for them nothing more than their proper weight as
meTs suggestions. To begin then with our con-
illusions. LIST, W6eat ean,tot go much higher, aud
aOin not long retnain at present prices. 3D. Fam
ems would do well to sell soon and get the top of
the rise. There can be no question but that the
wheat crop Of the Union is good, more than sufi-
cient 10 supply home demand and average foreign
export. Whatthen has caused the present adj
vance in the price of flour. Some answer that it
is caused by the war in the Climen, &C., and 9TH
eTs that it is caused by the short crop in Europe,
especially along the Baltic, the wheat region of
Europe. The former of the causes is wholly IN
sufficient for the eud proposed. The whole army
ofthe Cnmea is between 100000 and 400, 600 men.
They were previously fed III Europe, consequent
ly the consumption is but little increased. Then
has production been diminished by the war?-
This Is the only alternative. 1t is apparent to
every one that the actual army of the belgerent
powers has not been doubled by the war. The
excess only then above ITS originsl members has
to be accounted for. Whence come they q
HaTdly from agrcultursts for it is well known that
the greater portion of the recruits of Europe ore
drawn from the cities and towns, the dress and
the excess of their population. But even If they
are drawn from agriculture all must remember
that every department Of European labor is over
lun and numbered down, and that draught such
the present war, but purifes and renders avail
able those who remain behind to do the labor
Hence we conclude that the war is not the cause
of the high price OF -four The crop of Europe
may be somewhat short, but from what we can
Learn it is nearly average one, while the pro-
ducts of Egypt and the East may supply the deficit
in the Crimen. Then the immense product of
corn, oats and potatoes in the United States must
be felt even across the Atlantic in producing that
ultimate approach towards equilibrium in puces,
which must ultimately exist in countries trading
with each other. At home the effect will be tan
gibIe. Take any given family OF moderate means
and put -four at $500 per barrel, com meul at
$3.50, iush potatoes at % cents per LusheI and
the amount of flonr consumed would be so per Ct
less than with -four at $500 per barrel. 1t is
right that this should be aud it will be. Our
grocers will find corn meal in hourly requistiuG,
and who will say it is inferior to flour in general
conduciveness to health aud strenglh potatoes wall
if possible become mote of stuple article of con
sumption than ever, and the result will be that
-four spectators will ere long fnd they have
bought up too much Of the article, that the people
can live without them, and that they will not pay
the prices which they had 10 pay last year.