Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-05

Indiana State n0teS...... prem. ....
Orders or Washington, "a d.. 80.
Cer'ificstes- ..-.--...... x91 dis. 49,
Quartermasters'
Vouchers. city.--.-. sS9ssK -.
Quar'ermasters'
Vouchers. countrY..... no sale. 80.
The weather has been cool and dry, and about
of that character peculiar to this season of the
wear. The markets have been a good deal agi-
tated during the week, owing to the advancing
tendency Of gold and the increasing alarm re-
garding the injury done to corn by the frosts. and
this being the great staple crop of the country its
failure affects directly or indirectly, numerous
departments of trade and manufactures, and
therefore its failure in whole or even in part,
would be a calamity of great magnitude. An
impression is now gaining ground, we notice.
that the yield Of the corn crop planted last spring
will not be over one-fourth an average, and con
sequently farmers are holding back their old
corn and refuse to sell it at any price, in various
sections Of the country, and spectators are
at work buying for future delivery, at fam
inc prices. There can be no doubt in the
mind Of any one possessing even a superb
cial knowledge Of agriculture. that. even
had there been no frost in August, there could
not have been a full average crop Of corn, be
cause, aside from the frost. the temperature of
July and August was too low for corn; and
the crop would have been below an average. had
there been no frOst- The frost did serious injury
and materially shortened the crop in the West.
north of the Ohio river Taking all the inform
alton which has reached US, into consideration,
we think we may safely say that the crop Is fully
one third below an average, that is, below the
crop gathered last year. and the quantity very
inferior in large districts. But we hold that the
failure is not extensive enough to justify present
prices. The great drouth Of the summer of 1854
will be well Remembered. when no rain worthy of
note fell from Nav till October, and when the
corn crop was not over one quarter TO one half
an average crop. vet the price did not rule as
high then as il does now. The range of prices
during the following winter aud summer was 81
to 7S. and the average for the whole season was
SIC and yet -four sold, during that season,
for an average of eight dollars a barrel. That
the existing circumstances DO not justify the
present rates for corn. must be plain to any one
having the facts stated before them, Then the
West supplied the South with corn, to a great
extent. but now the South has more corn than
the West The crops in Tennessee. Mississippi
and Alabama. in quality exceeds anything ever
know, and, as regards the quantity planted, en-
brace the greater proportion OF the land previ
ously planted in cotton. Now, the crops in Eu-
rope are unusually abundant; and the present
prices Of corn. or indeed ANYTHING near them.
will totally prohibit It's expectation TO England,
leaving the whole crop for home use. Should
pork rule at a price to justify farmers to feed corn
Mt present prices to hogs, it will preclude the pos
sibility of its being exported; and SO of lard and
lard oil. and candles. and the result would be a
home market glutted next spring with an i'm
mense amount of domestic produce which should
have been sent to other counties That this
unnatural state Of things cannot exist, however,
must be obvious to all, and hence the danger of
operating Mt the present unnatural prices for corn.
The failure of the hay crop, as reported by our
correspondents. is a serious matter, for il is not
over one half a crop as compared with that of
- -. - IL. -. -.-f~.l - L
price of oats, AMI is no doubt the cause of prices
having advanced so rapidly; but the cat crop isa
good one. and a large breadth Of land was sown
with them last spring. so that it will be found
that prices are too high now. The Government
demand is the only one that exists for hay and
oats. aside from the usual home demand. and
should this cease or be materially diminished.
the prices would largely decline. Before the re
bellion. both hay and oats were shipped largely
TO the South, but no such market exists for them
now.
Corn advanced to 90c. oats to Zoe. rye to CSC,
-four from 25.to Soc, asd unsettled. Whisky ad
vanced to SIC, hay to $50 per tun, cheese &c per
pound. butter Sc, Iinseed oil l0c, and there we're
more buyers than sellers at the advances. In
fact an impression seems to have taken possession
OF the agricultural community that there is a
great scarcity, and that famine prices must and
will prevail, and hence all articles are offered
with reluctance. and in many cases grain and
other articles are not offered at all.
Groceries are very firm. and sugar higher.
The stock of this article is light in this and all
the leading markets, and the consumption much
larger than was expected. so that it is expected
that the supply will prove short, and an absolute
scarcity prevail bafore supplies can be brought
forward.
In the provision market there is increased firm
ness, but the demand, aside from that taken BY
the Government, has been but moderate. Old
citv mess pork advanced to SO 50, and about
500 brls. sold at $40 rs, but this was above the
market, though il is generally held at this rate.
New is not in the market at less than $l4 25 to
sl4 50. being the prices which are obtained from
the Government. Bulk meats and bacon are
held more firmly, and are from to Hc higher
for all kinds.
Lard was held at 10c. with buyers at CSC. up
to the close OF change yesterday, but the news
from New York was not then known. Under its
effects prices will be held to-day at 1O1a to lie.
There is great difficulty in forming any estimate
Of the future, at this moment. and everything
will remain in this uncertainty until the pending
fight in Georgia is decided Rumors were circu
lated in New York Yesterday that Rosecrans had
surrendered. and that wholly unexpected move
ments OF the armies in Virginia had taken place,
which excited the gold market, and put rates up
four per cent.