The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-07-28
From the Cincinnati Price Current.
The Wheat CrOp..Priccs.


In the principal wheat growing States, the
work OF harvesting this important crop has
been either completed OF is in Il most forward
state Of progress In the more southern lat.
itudc, the new grain is in market, and ia
this section it will also be pretty freely of.
| fered within the ensuing week. SO far,
then, as regards this crop, we can calculate
,he result with pretty full degree Of GER
! tainty, there being no longer any danger
| from tiy or rust. The weather, which two
weeks ago was so wet as to give rise to scri.
| Gus apprchensionS changed about the time
when danger seemed to be the most immi-
ncnt, and it has since been favorable for ma.
turing the grain, and securing the crop. In
some sections considerable damage is report.
ed as having been done by weayil or ily, but
we hear no complaint Of rust, smut, or other
nisfortunes. What, then, is the general re-.
suit? This is a question Of no small i'm.
portanos, though our inquiries Of coneiu:
sions with reference thereto cannot, Of course,
effect in the least degree the extent Of the
| yield. But il is desirable and important to
know upon what we have to Depend
While entirely correct information on this
point cannot be obtained, enough is usually
known to furnish basis for an estimate ap.
proSlmatlns to accuracy, and especially is
this the case the present season.
The scarcity Of food and consequent high
prices that prevailed throughout the past
year, have impaired extraordinary inter
est to the result Of the growing crops; (; and
this has secured from every section, full adj.
vices with reference to the agricultural in
tercsts Of the country.
r., oup.rtaiv ,l. t,r,l,1 ~. ,.;.il ,c ,,.l,..
We must not coniiuc our inquiries to the
principal whcatgrowng States, because it
is pretty certain, we think that the increase
has been chiefly outside Of those limits
Ohio Peunsy lyauia, Virginia, and New York.
have heretofore been looked upon as the
great whca, producing States Of the Union
and the result Ol the harvest in these, deter
mined the estimates for the entire country
y very marked change however, has taken
place within the last five years resulting
from the large breadth uf lands brought into
cultivation in the Western States, and their
adaptation to the culture Of this crop, and
also from the increased attention recently
given in the Southern States, to the produc-
ton Of grain, whore, previously. cotton was
cultivated almost exclusively. While, there.
fore, the crop in the four States first named,
is perhaps, below, and certainly not above
an average, there is a large increase in the
Western, Northwestern, and Southern
States.
1t is difficult matter TO determine what
an average crop, reduced TO bushels, would
amount to III any State, for the reason that
statistics, collected under the authority Of
Government, have been exceedingly dclcc-
tive. The Weld Of 1850. according to the
census returns, was, in round numbers
81 100000 bushels, in the States Of Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. but
an average crop in those States is estimated
at about ,5,OuJOJO bushels. The crop Of
the present year. however, is slightly below
the latter. The severe drouth Of last SUM
mer and fall prevented farmers from sowing
the usual amount Of seed, and il is generally
admitted that the breadth Of land planted is
less than usual. The increased yield per
acre, and the imp roved quality, make up
10 part, how ever. for this decrease, anil It is
safe to estimate the yield of the four States
named at G5, ,O0O, 600 bushels which, though
below an average, is an increase as com.
pared with last year Of al least 1900, 600
bushels.
In all the other States, however, that
grow wheat to any extent, there is a large
increase, some OF them having produced
twice as much as in any previous year
Taking the products as stated in the census
returns Of 1850 for the basis and estinat.
Ing the prObabl. increase this year, over
that, we have the following result: