Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-08-07
For the Enquirer.
For he Enquirer.
A PROPOSITION FORTHE CONSIDERATION
OF TIE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY AND
TIE FARMERS OF VIRGINIA.


TIE FARMERS OF VIRGINIA.
That portion of mankind engaged in the cultivation
OF The Soil III mort countries, il subject 10 pscuin
nfoaItinns, ana Is the victim Of much injustice. Die
persr being rarely brought together in large bodies
grnce'ui and qulei III their habits, they seldom com
bi:s aud rarely Ret N concert for Rnv purpose. On
tic contrary, manufacturers, men in the professions
lie 'rhGesi"en 81 the t"wnt nud most other c.Hsses
-nSilv uneto promote Heir special objects form cir
plans. and move ~ harmony" their accomplishment
The farmers OF THIS STATE make 10 exception To The
.eneihi rule Dat bave ru intention Of discussing
tie general questions; only branch of it.
The milling business Tie city OF Richmond is ear.
risd, ior the most part by itrr gigantic establish
u.eDs; whcn do honor 10 tbs city b. their e1rrnordl
nary E!s:Eiiuie HE remark bic skill with which ;hey
are mEusgr'!, and tile Projections Of their operations
Ii - generally understood that such il their establish.
ell reputation, that their "brauds" command better
prices han all Others in rksts if Do; in all
The South American markets are among those where
they find IN: largest sales, aud where the character Of
their flour il 80 hgn give them great advantages
aud BE- source "t large profits. These Three mills
buy, il is believed large proportion OF the wiea;
| which j. Tais On this side OF The Blue Ridge except
| ins a; sent from the State manufactured IN Alex.
anlra, Fredericksburg aud Petersburg Bat ak
w!th precision Us ~ amounts, having statistics
before ma Their purchases Ire certainly very large.
amounting 10 millions and they fix tie price oi h-:;
| in Richmond, and :lnpos: whatever conditions they
deem calculated IN promote th":r Interests conre-
IL
n.ond market Houses traGIu2 on colossal Il scale
affect prices throughout The State, nor would i; be
unreasonable 10 say produce effect Oh The New
York markets. Establishments of such magnitude
are of public interest, aud il cannot, with .ay pro-
pretv be regarded intrusion into private affairs 10
70 discuss their influence and their mode of transact
in, business, when considering the interests OF the
AGRICULTURAL ca-s Of this State
| These mers fix the prize. Of wheat in Rchnra:!;
bu, there im; to their power IN this respect. Thcy
81,
low New York prices; for when this occurs, the
wLeat il Gent tn the latter lace IL will b. found
examination, that they GENERALLY sink in price a. low
~ ,hey possibly AID yet prevent thu grain from
seeking another mar ket. 1t Is believed by many and
with good reason, ;hai, instsni of giving fifteen ar
twenty crus lrs., than The New York price th- R;ch
uoud miller can afford tu give mor- because his npur
brings better price. Bat liz profits BY his monopoly
of the market u. il 20 ba expected. Ii he could mol;
obtain gbea. here lower tEHa IN New York, he wuuid
certainly give the prca. The advantages he pnjpys
in water power over The New York miller The mag
ntude 0f his operations, and the high reputation Of
hs brands would enable him To compete most sue
cer!i,ily il believed in the markets Of the world, il
! he were compelled b. circumstances to give even
! mora fo- grain than tho New York miller.
But il i: 20 be expected, under lie circumstances in
which they are pnccd, that the Richmond u.iliers
will give what they can ntGordi 1t ls nn they viii
buy ma low a. they cen and will sell their -four doubt
less ~ high rs they can. More cannot: perhaps, be
asked from commercial men; but il is cer;sGiy nurh
Al, ~ desired that The farmer should be placed in
such po..,.o. - 10 ba able 10 demand and Obtain
whs, ir lsr price Tor gem, lie can place him
sef in tn. position by continuation.
The millcs act in CONCERT, aud from the hstua 81
things must do 90. The great business Is done by
three houses. in fifteen minutes walk Of each . her
Il IL iinlai, rial whether they have any expressed
ag.eeu:"nt not. One will not submit 10 prices
more oncrou- q, ~: extent, or ierms oil purchase
lesa profitable ,ian the rest.
They all REQUIRE, rs general rule, tnet tee grain
should heia Richmond before they will make an "h-r
Vixen il is uhcs there they have greatly the hdval'
taee in the transaction Of buying aud selling; for the
farmer mli-, submit TO their terms, or Incur the tx
Gems, and haz.!rt. of Storage reshipneat. lie Will
sus, :aa.e considerable sacrifice rather than deter
sale aLd the risk. expense ana trouble Ot send
! lg his grain 10 aisii.e- inarEet This usage places
him very much nj the mC.cy Of tIe buyer, and many
viii subln. t. sacrifice OF twenty q. twenty tive cts.
per bus!lr!.
Again, tissc gentleman Lnd it 10 their coavenieEcs
aud Gouii!eg 10 their interest 10 receive grain At their
mills instead OF taking u from Tue vessel rs Is usual
everywhere else. Accordingly tEl3 Is the rule, Std
the consegu ence is, much difficulty ia Inducing esp
G;na Of vessels become responsible for the ch8oss
of wheat reasonable freight taken TO this mar
l;et becnu-1 they very justly urge that tho grain Is
taken from their vease!e ana rcsierred III carte over
which they have 40 control, the .!,.is, tC Ge weigh.
ed and delivered. The loss from this soroo IS cs;l'
mated by one Of the oldest and most experienced
commission merchants Of this city esavernging three.
fuIrtbs OF per cent o! the gfaIi There is G.so
another well founded complaint 10 the delivery %
Grain here When sold, the miller will not take il oil
liz go.es!s, BIZ, frequently dc;Hn them eight or ten
Gays soy. longer, using them rs Iriots
md u: .hu tho ,.!s! 10 pay any thing Tor t!'e
derousiou. This is, doaoties., .ffYGace Which
ought 10 be remedies.
Another grievance farmers igve 10 compia;I ot lc
this market, ;s Mt the hands Of tha coinnss!on mar
chants. lhe price they charge for selling is ha!evei
10 &c rIost unreasonable, ana ought not to be sub
mi'r.i H.. l.. Price IN Baltimore is ons cent per
bI.bcl for seia1 .ra ,rrr il il Two and half pc.
cent ON the sg' NhnU I',rA;is 81 This Is five cents
per hu-h-l. To avot: this urreasIgcj. te.i,a'id,
majority of faTmere sell their o%n wheat. aIa hSrc
ro agent 10 attend 10 ..e business Tor Item.
All these lossre may bs avoided the cnnveu!eace OF
ID. a:s:s promoted, prices materially improved.
By i.tarE.; i.:o ,,;!!ers and the Commission mtr-
chants let the ior..-r sc: - concert By an agent
an'nofZ" 10 s,,osk II ;E.r nah cr Gaze saic- Tor
them. II all III. wheat sold in Richmond were Coz.
nitted 10 the hands OF IIal, he would t,le o:CG
py the position IN reference TO the 1ile-s which they
l.Gw occupy in reference 10 the farmers Or u one
hall HI bovr. would be in proportion 10 the amount
lie would Gctsie Er tsf..'. 9Th only ms .iniEon
II the price demanded W him =: n that the
riiisrs could better afford purchase in :isf mar
se.s ani e.1er all The expense OF commissions. ~
snrarco ind transportation then they wouid NOT buy
of him. But II the sum were sn'y loss hHn ine price
ia other markets: with tiic.c vaiGij Lhares Gdied,
they would find it Than Ia their interest. hu- ,iie
pr. sent state of things would be reversed Now lie
mil!e.s say u.s. practically, yon must take The New
York prices minus The cast ot transportation. NJ
suranSe couni4 ions aud MI the expenses of sale IN
that city. i'i..u would be about fifteen or twenty
cents loss. Our agent might then gay to the m.llers,
with equal prcprie'y, you nust Eye the New York
or The Baltimore prices plus the czprsc -, -anspor:
tation and all the other charges 10 purchase AM
transfers 10. il do Sell to you, you will b. com
perd to resort tG hcsc markats. This negotiation
would probably Terminals i.ry by the nI.!ecs nter'
ing to give Naw York prices, to avoid The exp nses
referred ~; and this agents receiving the "fsr, 10
e4cape the charges Of transportation and sale III
distant market.
There ARE n few houses that wish t., buy Two or
three millions of bushels of wheat. We lave II "a
cell, but W. amount I" many thoussnh'. They thKr
us in detail. weak from dispersion and total want "i
concert. They are strong from fr'cica. co'n"in"'
On, close cnc;lsuity and thorough inurnutiJ!i.--
They act with Iapidy, and together, W. Inove SLOW
", scattered several hundred miles apart and often
With imperfect Information Of the st"e ot The mar
iets. We euler all the Disadvantages Gf mob act
| NO against n regular army, or more properly oi
opus'icn dispersed over wide extent of country,
rithou uniou, without leader and for the mos: part,
sithnut arms combating well disciplined suliIrry'
| II we had an agent in Richmond auih"riz"d 10
-,eai and act for u.s. We would then enjoy ali TIE I'd
| y.n.Gges OF Union Tbs representatives ut millions
o dollars, who want 10 buy, would be met by the
representative of millions Of dollars III value OF grain
Who wants 10 cell. II wonld he po;en'ate against
p.egate, mud not rs at present the weak insA deal
| ing with tie GtrODg. We now in Il limited way
tis operation OF this prineHle. The commission
merchant. who sells during the season one hundred
ousaln bushels OF wheat, cGn obtain bet'sr terms
tlan the farmer who sails only few hundred; and
tie farmer selling five thousand, will probably do
bitter than the man vino sends wagon load. IL is
a, object tn obtain large amount. But the pur-
CHASER of half million of bushels of wheat year
c.nnut afford to give his time To small transactions
without being we'll paid Tor ii.
Yet the Executive Committee ofthe State Agricul.
tur, S"ce;y appoint commercial! agent. liz il i'm.
msaria by what nam, he il calied) to reside in Rcl.
mori and devote his time and energies IN the sale Of
crair. He should be- q man whose sympa.hies aud
interests identified with the cultivators ut the
soil ~ lie same time ha should be acquainted with
commerce, competent 20 investigate the intimate and
complicated Question 81 prio9, TO gather info nation
rs production, IN the great grain growing counties,
] :il,IsnG tL. ;,I.r y. ri il. xAcIl. a