The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-05
High Prices OF Food.

From the ". Y. World.
During the past twenty years there has been
a constant effort to stimulate all sorts OF in
dustry except the growth of substantial vege-
table food. There has been constant call to
develop mineral resources; to extend and inn
prove means of internal communication; to
grow wool, and otherwise develop pasturage;
to grow cotton and tobacco; to improve horti-
culture; to increase manufacture and COM
merce-until these pursuits have employed
the best energies and most fertile climes, to
the neglect of the growth of those cereals
which must ever form the bulk of human food.
From this cause the prospects now before the
people of the great cities of Europe and
America are not at all agreeable. The
purely agricultural food-growing regions
of Europe and America have either stood
still or suffered contraction, while the calls
upon them have increased steadily and rapidly,
until series of uniform good crops are neces-
sary to prevent food rising to famine prices,
while one or two short crops here and there
create disorder in business, and produce dis
tress in many ways We do not propose to
stimulate speculation; but with the flood of
wheat now being poured into Chicago and Mil
waukee, we feel it important to collate a few
facts bearing upon future supplies and prices
because there is reason to fear that, with the
utmost precaution, ourselves and Western
Europe will encounter, before another harvest
shall be garnered, an uncomfortable scarcity
and extreme prices of this staple article.
Two nearly complete failures of the crop OF
winter wheat inlthis country so reduced our
supplies that but for unexpected shipments to
as from California many people would have
been compelled last spring to dispense with
W alfOUathar n
this year unsurpassed in quality and guam
| tity; but we were so destitute at the PERIOD
OF its ripening that we have already MADE
| great threads upon it.
Turn to Europe, the aspect of affairs is still
more unsatisfactory Two indifferent crops
in England have been followed, not as with
| us, but by one that is more conspicuously
| deficient. France usually an exporting
| country, has had two defective crops; and
from Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and other
| pOpulous countries, the reports OF denclen-
| cies in the ereps are uniform and appall-
ing. The population which is thus deli
cient numbers about one hundred ana
twenty millions. What their wants are
| likely to be may be estimated by recalling
the strain upon the North to feed the South
last winter, after the partial failure OF her
crops. The deficiencies in the supplies OF
sparse population of eight or ten millions
| then exhausted our crippled resources
| Whence, then, are the wants Of ten times their
number to be supplied From San Francisco
we learn that heavy English orders have been
executed, but the whole crop OF California
would be but drop In the bucket. France
| and FpSland are oontending in this market for
such supplies as have reached us. Not con-
| tent with this, they engage supplies several
days ahead Of their arrival, Our local millers
cannot compete with them, and we are Threat
! sped With an entire absorgt99 2. .4@. .arg.|-