Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-08-13
The Great H .rvest.

The harvest Of 1867 is the greatest
for abundance of yield and for quali-
ty Of berry that we have ever seen,
and viii doubtless be referred to |
years hence, perhaps a life time, as
the remarkably abundant year.
Wheat and oats will be greatly !
above average in quantity and quail
ty. Corn may be slightly short, but
can hardly fail to be of good qnality.
Potatoes will be rather better than
was expected, as the bugs have not
done the mischief that was feared
Fho other crops, less known as being
staples, barley, rye, &c, are probably
srst rate. The hay crop of this sea-
son must be mostly saved and has
scen watered but little. Owing to
The frequent early rains the yield of
hay must be large. The flax crop
is large, fourteen to twenty bushels to
tho acre.
But what is Of equal Importance is
Che weather. The harvest of last
year and Of other years we'll remem-
bered, the crops were heavy, perhaps
equal to the present but the weath-
er at some stage Of harvest changed
TO wet, and the grain rotted or sprout-
ed, standing or in the shock, per-
haps in the stalk, and was measur>
ably lost.
From liability to damage and loss
on account Of wet weather we are
not entirely free. Were it now to
turn wetfor week or several weeks,
especially if it should remain warm,
the loss would be incalculabIe.
But the farmer is saying to him
self, "what shall be done with my
grain, and will there be any demand
tor it? How about these debts to be
paid after harvest shall | erect stor
ing houses and await scarcity, de-
mand and better prices?"
Farmers, be assured that you are
not the only ones concerned about
the answers to these several ques-
tons stated above The merchant,
the mechanic. the manutacturer--all
men, except, perhaps the note shay
ers, are as deeply puzzled over these
questions as yourselves. The mer~
chant whom you owe cannot afford
to force you to pay if thereby your
crops are TO he sacrificed and you
made into poorer debtor than be-
fore, and two fold worse customer.
ii is the interest of the merchant to
have rich patrons--and to enrich,
not impoverish them. 1t is true,
there are merchants incapable Of
looking so far ahead, but such cut.
Threats and mountcbanks are soon
caught in their own traps and done
for
The mechanic too, has harvest in>
terests the same; he cannot afford to
XII the goose that lays the golden
e. -.lluding to an old proverb.-
He must hold up the farmer who
holds ta the machinest that furnishes
the farm machinery. Same of the
manufacturer, The spoculator, even
She patent right dealer, the lawyer
doctor, editor, &c. None Of these
can afford to Cypress the farm inter-
est by compelling the collection of
debts and sacrificing crops at low
prices.
But the farmers too, have their du>
Lies and moral obligations. They
sannot afford to let the merchant fail.
soT the mechanic, the manufacturer
and others who use skill and capital
IN q useful way.
Horses, cattle, pork, wool, &c. will
bear very good prices during the pc
Rod of cereal cheapness, and for the
payment of debts and current ex>
penses these may be turned out and
tho grain hold on to for a better day.
Quite a long period of close man
aSoment is to be lived through. dur
ing which if all will do their resona.
Die duty there will be but few fail
ures
Many will have TO carry their
gram to market at whatever price Of
tered-thelr promises being out for
the money to make payments. and
having nothing else to spare that
VIII bring money. Doubtless there
WI be enough such to supply the
market demand, and may be so few
'uG 81, mat prices will be held MP.
II ne prospects now are that there
w'h 'e quite a large deficiency in
Europe, IN which event there NAV bo
demand for much of the Americas
surplus = - ''''n
The effect of great crops is 70
cheaper bread, which is the staff ~
life. When bread is cheap, all other
substantals are cheap, and the poor
especially are benefited. Poverty
and sorrows are disarmed OF half
their horrors when bread is cheap.