Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-09
Shall Wheat be Marketed now or be
held for a Rise

held for Rise
Trading men are complaining of
dali times, particularly those in bus
mess st the railroad towns. We have
listened to the reasons for dizziness
offered by men at Boscobel and Mon
roe: "The farmers" say they, fare
holding on to their wheat they
mistake in holding on better sell
and pay debts; no prospects for
better prices the wheat surplus is
large-suficient to insure plentiful
ness even though the crops shall fail
in 1869; interest on dead capital,
damage from rats and other causes,
and liability to fire and DOSAGE would
seem to argue speedy sales" All
such and the like reasons are designed
and retailed from the stand point of
the grain buyer.
But the farmer is q listener, and a
deal better listener than the specula.
tor Who plays SO ably the tune of the
tongue.
Says the farmer, 'why, there is
time for all things; seed time and
harvest; day for selling, and too
time for holding on to what man
has. One must look into the chapter
OF accidents and make the page of
probabilities his patient stuGy and
even the fy leaf of possibilities must
be taken into account. We have not
often two years of plenty in success
sion, and never in succession two
years of plentifulness the world over.
1t is therefore to be presumed that
crops will fail somewhere next year,
may be in Europe or part Of Europe
may be fail in some or all of the
American states-possibly in all or
part of Wisconsin indeed Grant Co.
may fail alone. Well then, in all this
there is hope, indeed more than hope
for great rise in the price of wheat
even so early as the date of coming
summer. And add this further cons
sjderation: When grain is cheap,
the producing classes are sure to SOW
fewer acres to wheat, possibly third
less then last year, or q diminutlon
equal to the present surplus and more
too. Rye, an article hardly valued
for bread, brings more than wheat
and barley an article OF actual injury
as used, brings nearly double what
wheat does. This is all unnatural,
that the very staff of lire should rank
below such products as are used in
making drinks which, the very best
that can be said for them, are useless
for the health and morals Of the
human kind. This relation of things
cannot last, for He VINO promised
seed time and harvest and that man
shall live by the sweat Of his brow,
also promised virtually that the pro-
Queer Of bread shall have a better
reward than the producer OF what
benefits no man, but rather reduces
Gods holy image below standard
divinity.
There are many who should sell
their whoat at current prices. Those
in want of warm clothes to give
health and comfort should sell with>
out counting loss. The man unable
to save bis grain from loss should sell
And he whose promise is out TO pay
debt should either sell his wheat to
redeem his word, or borrow the mon.
ey t. so. At least he should go and
give interest. No man has any right
TO hold on to his crop 1T tho expense
OF his solemn promise TO pay his
merchant or mechanic. But gener-
ally such promises can be met square,
ly some way or other without sacri-
fcing grain at present prices. Hon
est men can always raise money, and
no man has any right to be dishonest.
Men having wheat on hand and
able to hold it without injury to 9TH
ers, and having granaries to keep 1t
securely, should hold their wheat till
rise to o fair price, say at 81 &c.
And in offering such advice we feel
the weight Of responsibility. But
prices cannot tall below the present
and this consideration warrants us
against all danger Of future censure
This article is prepared at Boscobel
and may be taken for a design to
interfere with the loca trade. We
surely design nothing of the kind
But believing that whatever is the
interest Of the producer is also the
profit Of the resident merchant and
grain buyer. we endeavor to produce
the arguments on both sides of this
question of the day Shat men mar
ket their ,oheat noe, or hold It for O rise ?
Surely it is we'll to impart light upon
what interests alike all classes.