Smyrna times., 1857-05-27
The Crops Prospects and Prices.


The season of the year has arrived when we
besin 10 look with interest at the condition o.
the growing crops in the great agricultural re-
.,ions of the United States. Abundant harvests
form the only substantial basis of our national
prosperity, and the extent of the foreign de.
mand tor our pies regulates the profits, not
of agriculture only. bet of every department Of
trade. There is so much croaking of interest
ed parties, during the whole growing season.
for the purpose of affecting prices that it is diff
fcuIt at any time te form a correct estimate OF
the favorable or unfavorable prospect of the
harvest, and often the best-infornled people are
greatly deceived in regard to the final out-turn
Of the crop.
At the present time, as usual, We have nume-
rous aud conflicting reports from all parts of the
country. much of which must be set down as
"bOsh put ia circulat on by specula tors to in
huemce the ma rkeis There has been much in
the weather the present spring to produce evil
flrebOdlngs in regard to the harvest, but should
the weather remain as pleasant as during the
l,d few days, vegetation will make rapid
strides, to akes It's wonted place in the calen-
d4r. From u ir'.fnl cOllatng of the diversified
accounts. however, there is ground for believing
that most of the crops will be good. OF the
fruit crop, which was thought to have been
killed by the unexsmoled cold of April and
rsrIy May. we are sure, there will be an sbun-
dIuce, particularly of apples. Peaches in the
southern part Of this State, well as in the
adjoining counties of Maryland, where, by rea-
sOn Of the light, sandy Hod, the trees bIossomed
e.rly, have been considerably injured. There
are enough remaining, however, for all ordina-
" purposes. Ia the southern States, where the
eOi1a aud sugar p!aHts were represented few
weeks since at being nearly killed, have, from
liter accounts, revived, and the prospect is, that
the crop will not fall much below the average.
10 the northern States the yield of ma pie sugar
has far exceeded that of any previous year
the yield in several OF the States being consid-
cred equal to the annual consumption. Should
the crop in the south De an ordinary one, we
eau see nothing TO hinder a reduction of the
high prices OF sugar. The prospect in the
west. however. is not 50 flattering. We have
II from reliable sources that, in many sections,
the wheat crop will prove almost total failure.
Tue same may be said of many portions of the
Eastern and Middle States. In Kent county,
in this State, the crop will fall far behind. We
have Heard Sc, erdl intelligent farmers express
the opinion that it cannot exceed One-third of
su Average yield. 1t is now too early in the
s.ssoa to form anything like au accurate opin-
sou with reference to oar great staple, corn
The weather his not been at all encouraging
until the present week. More :han usual
qaantty of potatoes will be p.anted the present
year.
This season may yet turn out to be very
productive one, but there is, and will continue
to be, until the gathering of the growing crops,
scarcity and high price of all the principal
productions. The Cecil Wing, in speaking on
this subject, says, it seems to US there is now
more real Gauss to expect high,Prices and posi-
tive scarcity, Gf such thing bepossibe in this
eountry) than at any time during a number Of
years There is but light supply Of old grain
on hand; the wheat fields, in wide districts of
the country. are hnpromising and the yield
must fall much below an average crop; the
eOrn-planting season is now far advanced, but
owing to the bad weather great deal of that
crop has not been put in the ground, aud the
chances, when the planting is thus late, are
against anything like an usual crop on poor
land. Thus the case stands in regard to bread
stuffa ,....st ,..f -.
Ia regard to meat, the prospect is, also, that
there will be scarcity and high prices In the
West, immense numbers of hogs have died Of
a disease called, from its fatality, the" hog
cholera" In some sections, almost the whole
ssoes has been swept off; this disease is now
extending eastward and is likely to bring much
additional loss In many parts of the North
ssest thousands of cattle have died from starva-
sion, and owing to the coldness of the spring
the pastures ate still insufficient to afford them
a support, hence they are still dying off, the hay
sad iodder being exhausted. In those sections
large quantity of cora has been fed TO cattle,
in the hope of keeping them alive till the pas
tures grow, and this will decrease the amount
10 be slipped to the eastern market. II, may
b. added here, SO that the fisheries Of North
Carolina and Virginia have generally. failed
ihis Spring. and that those OF the chesapeake
have only been partially successful. 81 q si13
-saauaao-s -sllL1---~.~.------
TaE MARKGrs.--fhe following are the mar
ket prices ia tais town; q White Wheat Sl,7O
Red 81 go, Cern so ctA. Oats 54 cts. Potatoes
sl.25, Ba,,er.25 cts. and Fowls S400 per doz.
= 'sHsisa-- L---t----~~~-- -1-l------- siss'ila7a'
b-r A correspondents gises US an ingesiou
ss,et, pt at thas solutioIOt the mysterious, New
burg !, az. On the first lage. i4o ePl1' -