Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-11-22
Farm Products for 1870.

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peculiar one, distinguishable for its
radical extremes. Extremely cold
in winter, extremely warm in sum-
mer; extremely dry from the first of
May to the middle of July, extreme
ly wet from the middle of July to
the middle of September; extreme
" deficient in some farm products,
extremely luxuriant in others the
sun itself has been moro intensely
excited than usual, and the Aurora
Boreais has trescoed the heavens
with beauty seldom equalled in the
history of the past. With these facts
before our eyes we can look with less
wonder and establishment on agri-
cultural delinquencies or excessos.
The wheat crop is materially less
in quantity, but much better in quail
ity than the yield Of last year; in
fact, it is doubtful whether the coun-
try has ever produced a crop of bet
ter wheat than that grown the pres
ent year. The crop of 1869 consid-
cred in the aggregate was a large
one, though in some sections it was
almost q failure, but the quality of
grain was decidedly inferior so that
the amount Of flour for 1870 will not
be so far behind that of the previous
year as some people may imagine.
Unless there is greater demand for
wheat in foreign countries than at
present, there is not much prospect
OF any great advance in the market.
For let it be remembered that in ad-
dition to the present years crop, a
great quantity Of last years wheat
Is yet unsold, especially in Nebraska,
Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Ohio, Wisconsin and
Minnesota, Surprising our whole
population to be forty million, it
would require two hundred and forty
million bushels to supply our home
demand, or six bushels to every man.
woman and child per year, which we
venture will be very near the aver
age consumption of wheat. The de-
crease in quantity for 1870 is due to
a very uniavorable season for winter
varieties, being too open and change
able, and to the extremely dry wealth
err in the early part of summer, Sc
we're y affecting spring wheat, which
IN some localities was almost total
failure but on the whole there is
plenty Of breadstuffs in the market.
For several years past, the oat
crop has been much lighter than
usual in former times, when oats
were considered one of the most re-
liable farm products, the only objec-
ton to raising which was their sap
ping tho life Of the soil. The yield
OF the present year is decidedly in
ier,or to the crop of 1869, both in
quantity and quality, except in some
Southern States where rain fell in
abundance. The straw is short and
tho berry oXtromely light in almost
every quarter, though occasionally
farmer may be found with well-filled
bins Of the very best quality. The
decline in value and productivcness
Of this crop will probably induce
many farmers to sow sparingly next
year, and consequently there will be
q greater demand for oats next fall
than the present season, the market
value being regulated by supply and
demand.
The corn crop, unlike those men
toned above, is decidedly the most
Iuxuriant that the country has pro-
duced for number Of years, more
than compromising for the limited
yield Of small grain. At present
prices there is a great deal more
money in corn than either wheat or
oats, and so long as tho pork market
keeps buoyant, and farmers can raise
q first rate crop Of corn, they have
no reason to complain Of hard times
for them, even if wheat is a partial
failure. The crop of 1870 will prob
ably come very near three hundred
million bushels This statement
may lead some people to imagine
that corn will necessarily be very
cheap this winter, and possibly it
will be lower than heretofore in fact
it is 80 already, but that there will be
still greater decline is very doubt
tul. We must remember that there
are four million more hogs ii the
country than at this time last year,
and also that the oat crop being so
unusually light will create a greater
demand for corn than would other
wise have existed and in addition
TO these facts, the recent decline in
the pork market will induce those
who create to hold on to their hogs
until cold weather, in hope of better
prices, and thus consume great
NNHl VI COi IL bhAV NOuiu OLuGl WiSc Dc
thrown upon the market.
Rye and barley are both lighter
than last years crop, and from all
sections we hear the general COM
plant of Il scarcity Of upland hay.
On the low lands, and river banks
especially, tho yield Of hay is as
great, and even greater, than they
have produced for a great many
years. Along the Wisconsin and
Mississippi rivers hay ought to DO
found in abundance.
Potatoes though much more p!en-
tiful than was at first supposed are
far from being q first rate crop. In
the South the yield is excellent, but
in tho Northern States the supplv is
limited. Farmers having potatoes
to sell Will find it profitable to dis
pose OF them for fifty cents per bush
eI, but by keeping them over winter
they may realize more, though they
run the risk Of freezing and rotting.