New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-27
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By this table it appears that there @as loss IN
eighteen States during that period OF about elguV
millions Of bushels, while in fourteen there was
gain sf about twenty. four millions, making t9e
.ctu,I o,n "a before stated st about sixteen NIL
lions in the ten years Thus, il there be no dis
turbinR cause, we might expect that the wheat
crop of 1855 would reach about one hundred and
eight or ten millions Of bushels; we will assume
il to be the outside figure
The present population is twent! five millions
from which should be deducted the slaves, as they
do not consume much wheat this leaves at least
twenty.one millions of consumers of wheaton
bread. Allowing half pound Of flour per head
per day, the annual individual consumption would
be equal to four and a half bushels OF wheat, and
this would require ninety four millions OF bushels
for home consumption. The census estimates the
number OF acres sOwn in 1850 a. eleven millions.
At the same estimate the number for 1855 would
be twelve millions, and as two bushels per acre is
the usual quantity sOwn, it would require twenty
four millions for seed If, therefore, the price OF
wheat was down to it's lowest point, there would
not be enough raised by the above estimate to
meet the demand by about eight millions OF
bushels.
Since 1850, however, there have been disturbing
causes that did not exist previously. Wheat has
been in great demand for three successive years,
and has borne good prices during all the past five
Years This has stimulated its cultivation and
probably there were more acres in waeat in 1855
than ever before. 1t may be safe to admit that in
nearly all the states where there was loss before,
l. Il
give about eight nil ions of bushels from that
source The other ten millions which we admit
10 be gained in the natural course OF events, must
have come mainly from the new states For, the
older States have nearly al their wheat lands under
cultivation, and cannot materially surpass tie
Weld of 1850, unless there should be an uncommon
season ia which larger quantities than usual are
grown to the acre. This is particularly the case
with the great wheat growing states of New-fork,
Ohio. Pennsy lyania and Virginia whose crop IN
1899 was 52,6SO,572, and in lS49, 5i,l39l56
bushels, being in the latter year more than one
half of the whole crop of the Union, while the
cain in the ten years is only milliOa and h.lf
Of bushels. From their proximity to the Atlantic
markets, these States must be the great exporting
States, and upon their crops more than upon the
others the surplus depends.
But While there have been such inducements to
increase the cultivation of wheat, there are some
countervailing considerations which must not be
overlooked. In the first place, most OF those
States which show the largest increase IN the pro-
ducton of wheat not naturally wheat-groWlng
States, Indian corn being their most certain and
staple crop. IT, then, there has been any induce
ment to an increased cultivation of corn, wheat
will be neglected. This is particularly the case
with portions of Wisconsin, all of Indiana and ILL.,
nois and most of Kentucky. During this time,
corn has borne high price, and beef and pork
have gradually appreciated in value until they
have reached such a point that there is lit
tie irdacement to grow wheat TO any great
extent in those States 1t is undoubtedly
true that the cultivation of wheat has not
materially increased in either of them.
SO, too tie tide of emigration has been sweeping
past Mchigsn SO rapidly that no marked increase
can be looked for III that state, while in Wlscon-
sin and Iowa there has been undoubtedly an in
crease, probably in the first of three millions and in
the latter as much more, making possibly in these
two States an Increase of six millions of bushels
mus, dllONlE SRStte "''NN iN'' ~N'N-N
make ny the loss and that the other States have IN
creased at the rate of million and halt OF bush
els per year, and that we have this year fN.i
crop, the most that can be claimed with any sho"
of truth is one hundred aid twenty-iOur millions
Of bushels for the entire crop Of 1855. Us the old
stock is exhausted We must look to the present
crop alone. In ordinary years, this would show 4
fair surplus of about six millions Of bushels that
misht be exported without affecting the market.
Thus far, we have assumed that there was a fill
crop in the year 1855. But We will now proceed
70 show that there was not even an average crop.
To the casual observer, the crop Of Winter wheat
gave, during the spring, all the tokens OF being a
remarkably heavy one The observsnt farmer,
however. when he exsmiled his fields, could dis
cover that his wheat was more than commonly
thin, ana that the plant did not iilier as wei as
usual This was owing to the dry weather last
Fan, which prevented good deal OF the seed iron
terminating, and enabled the fly TO destroy more
and slsO to the severity of the Winter, which Killed
mole or less in the best soils The only hope TO- q
good crop lay in having cool, moist season to en-
able the beads to ill well. Beside, the ravsges Of