Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-05-21
From the Chicago Tribune, May 81
Scarcity of Grain at the West,

From careful inquiry, personally made both
of people from the country and along the lines
of three of the principal roads leading into this
city, we are convinced that the expectation in
dulged in by some of our contemporaries in
regard to the quantity of grain to come for
ward to this market during the present sea
son, are not founded on facts. The crop of
last year was by no means remarkable it has
probably been largely oyer-estimated, as the
events Of the spring and summer will prove
Fhengh 1t was large enough to have left in an
ordinary season, very considerable surplus in
the hands of the farmers, the extraordinary
duration OF the winter has cleaned out their
granaries and cribs entirely and even in our
own state thousands of men who usually have
corn and oats to sell have been for a month
past, and are yet, buying from their neighbors
to keep their cattle and horses alive until a
few warm and pleasant DAYS bring out the new
grass. A II along the Mississippi, on the Iowa
side, there is the greatest distress among far
mers for feed, and many of them, so great is
the scarcity, are losing entire herds by starva-
tlon. gentleman from Maquoketa tells us
that in that region-by the way, one of the
richest and most productive parts Of Iowa
cattle are dying by hundreds, and that far
mers who hauled their surplus to the river and
sold it in the fall, are now buying it back by
wagon loads at three times the price they got
for 1t six months ago: IN the country west
of Davenport, and about Iowa City, the same
state of things exists. At Quincy the demand
for corn to take over into Missouri is much
greater than the supply and one dstllery
at least is buying grain at St Louis, and send
ing it up the river by the boat load, to avoid
stopping work, as it would do if obliged to de-
pend upon home supplies. At Keokuk and
Burlington the demand is very active and the
supply small, as it is, indeed, in every other
part of the West from which we have heard.
Along the St. Louis and Chicago road there
is more corn, but not half the usual quantity.
Along the Galena Air Line, Galena and Chi
cago, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy,
and the Chicago and Rock Island roads, hard
ly full crib is to be seen. In one word, the
cattle have eaten up the entire surplus of corn,
oats, hay, and in many places, the potatoes al
so. The winter has exceeded its usual length
by fully forty days and in those days the
mischief has been done. Let the dOubter take
his pencil and make his own figures. There
are in Illinois, fully two million horses, mules,
cows, oxen and other cattle. Admit that on
ly half of this number, saying nothing of the
three millions sheep and swine, have required
forty days extra feed and then see what, af
ter their wants were supplied, would be left
of the very moderate crop Of 1856,
If the warning that may be gathered from
our account-which, we admit, is doleful
enough-wil prevent any from overstocking,
or from selling present stocks upon expecta-
tons of speedy pay, or if it will stimulate the
farmers to SOW and plant wider area, and to
practice more economy in the use of their hay
and grain in subsequent seasons, we shall have
accomplished all we desire.