Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-02-26
wheat, Tobacco, Guano, SC.

The low figures to which the prices Of
Wheat have fallen, must seriously affect the
cultivation Of that cereal in Virginia. The
cost of RAISING it is 80 considerable that, ex-
cept upon rich bottom lands and upland
fields fortified ir the highest degree by the
strongest mauures, in rmhlnatlon with clD-
yer and pea taliOws, the farmer 7u~talns an
actual loss at present rates. There Is no
prospect of any material improvement even
upon the next crop, and the question, there
fore, arises, whether the culuvator, whose
lands do not YELL an average crop OF twelve
or fifteen bushels per acre, without the ex-
peusive application Of guanO, and this Is tar
more than the general yield OF such lands
would not do much better 10 turning his at
~tention to the more remunerative staples OF
corn and tobacco 1t is a question, we
think. that presents not the slightest dim
culty Nothing can DC clearer than that
corn at g per barrel, and tobacco with 'he
prevalent range Of quotltIons, are much more
profitable crops than wheat at from - TO
81 p per bushel.
We have not time to q into an exposition
of the reasons which have brought u to this
conclusion. They may, some oil them, be
errOneous, but they are satisfactory TO our
mind. TIE use of guano 10 wheat helds has
absorbed hundreds Of thousands OF dollars,
without returning to them, we believe, a cent
of the money thus expended by farmers, IN
less, il NAV be, when the market price ex-
ceeded 81 so per bushel. Our own impress
sion has always been that this was the lowest
rate az which guanO could be strewed over
large breadths of wheat with any chance for
an euuivalent for the outlay. TIE expert
ence # agriculturists Will NJ doubt bear us
Out in the OPINION. The sales ., the last year
cumpared with those OF tobacco, wall, ~ the
eud of the d .liVery season, show a nett pr"hi
ID the growers so inferior Us to make them
regret that they bad not turned their atten-
too more t. the weed. Having felt 50 sc.
verely the effects IF the extreme depression
of the wheat market, they will, no doubt, In
the present and prospective state OF that mar
ket. increase their crops Of tDOacco this year
TO a large extent, and in this way only can
they indemnify themselves for the losses 10y
wheat. We ieeI quite conf lent that, II the
seasons be favorable, there will be a heavier
growth of the former staple 10 Virginia
aud North Carolina, than has ever been
known.
Although we are opposed TO the use of
guano on a broad scale, first, because OF Its
enormous cost, and secondly, because 1t Is no
improver of LGHd-we yet think that limited
to tobacco lots, it would handsomely re-im-
burse the farmer, informed as We have been
by macy persons who have thus tried 1t, that
il answers extremely well. Half a ton of il
= " 80 ill ba nr,,, p fyvA TONS IN
the other--the soils being respectively OF the
same quality, without the guano. Ibis IL,
we thluk, a reasonable aud fair estimate, and
if 40, there is a difference 10 the relative ex-
penses of the two crops, as Tar as giaho Is
concerned, which prep0nderates vastly 10
favor Of tobacco. OF course, we bolt III our
calculation upon the current market rates OF
all these articles. 1t may, therefore, lie as'
sumed, under existing circumstances, thai
the whea; crop will now rapidly give way Il
the tobacco crop, and that this preference
for the latter will continue until IN the ever
huctuating course Of commercial eli trs, the
present relative values of these two grea;
agricultural staples shall be reyersef-tha
is, when wheat shall be very high and tobac'
co shall be very low-as has been the case
frequently IN pat experience.
In the mean time, We would suggest 10 our
agricultural friends, whilst they are real
zlng the superior profits Of the tobacco cui-
ture. to fertl re their fields i'll a substantial,
systematic manner, by the application OF
| lime or mari, 10 combination with stable and
barn-yard mauures and green ialIows-so
that, whenever the price of wheat shall ad'
vance again to a tempting figure, they may
be prepared to grow tne crops without tue
aid Of guano. This Is the way to render
their property permanently productive, and
to promote most etectuallY the prosperity oil
the State, of which it's agricultural resources
are the main pillar. This is the way, too, to
retrieve its political lortune5 which have
been 50 sadly marred by the politiciane-'or
power increases with weaIth.-Pfs'SJurg
A.teligencer