Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-06-24
The Wheat crop--1ts Condition.

Previous to the night of the 4th inst, the
wheat crop of Ohio gave promise of a large
yield, and our farmers we're rejoicing in anti
eipation of the peeatiafy benefits that would
result to them. But the frest that covered
vegetation on Sunday morning blasted our
hopes. Panics are contagious. and rait; alike
individuals and armies and this dread of the
total destructiog of the whRat in many places
affected the public mind to degree not iusti-
fed by the facts. It must be recollected that
wheat is not the great staple OF Ohio, as its
value is much less than that of corn. And
many farmers raise none, or very little, conse-
| quently they are not great losers. The de-
struction of the corn crop would be a far
greater loss, for it would involve the hog crop,
and to great extent the fattening of other
stock. Yet we doubt if it would, have pro-
duced the same amount of panic that the pres
ent loss has, 1t did not, at least, two years
| ago, when nearly all the corn was worthless.
The corn crop of 1858, in Ohio, amounted
to S2,555, ,186 bushels, which, at 60 cts. per
bushel, the selling price at Cincinnati in De
cember amounted to the sum of S4g. I'LL
The wheat amounted to but 25,397 GA bush
els, which, at 81 per bushel, the selling rate,
at the same place and period, amounted to an
equal sum, thus leaving balance in favor of
the corn, of $24,135, ,497, or nearly double.
At present, there are symptoms of a reaction
to the panic, and it arises from the fact that
the frightened ones, having their fright, out,
those whose crops are not at all, or but little
iuitred, begin to be heard. 1t must also be
recollected that very large portion Of the
1Oheat grol0tng districts, aceSt and south Of
Ohio, haze not suffered at all, and even per-
tions of our own State are almost untouched
Many of the wheat fields, that were at first
thought entirely destroyed, turn out to be only
partially hurt ; and this is the case over all
the section that suffered the most. Often a
field will be found that is badly frost-bitten,
and another short distance of, almost unhurt.
We have examined fields that exhibited a
decided tendency to turning yellow, and found
that while some of the ears had every grain
killed, others had few only, while many were
entirely uninjured. This condition of things
seems to be that of large portion of our
worst injured fields.
Had the fly or rust attacked the crop, they
would not have produced half the excitement
tFffle the injury resulting from them might
have doubled that of the frost. 1t is even
doubtful whether, in some places, this same
frost may not have been positive benefit, as it
is reported that fields swarming with fly pre-
vious to the 4th are now clear of this depre-
dator, and the cold weather is not favorable to
the development of rust.
Spectators thrive on panics, and do all in
their power to increase them and we are sor-
ry that the farmers are in this case the losers,
for if half of the crop in Ohio had been killed,
it would not have affected the market sufficient
ly to raise -four to So per barrel the price
paid by many farmers, during the past week
for neither in Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and large
part of Indiana, was there sufficient frost to
hurt anything, and from these States is drawn
the wheat that establishes the market price.
Corn is now rapidly outgrowing the effects
of frost, and the warm rains of this week will
soon obliterate every trace of injury. Pota-
toes will come up again, and will probably pro
duce good crop. The loss in fruit is consid- !
erable but we can outlive this. From every
section more encouraging reports are reaching
us, and all agree that many were frightened
who were not hurt-Otio Farmer, 18th.