Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-03
The Probable Price of wheat.

IL there is one thing more than another which
interests the Western farmers just now, 1t Is the
probable price of wheat. Ii wheat is to be dear
through the urgency of a foreign demand then
corn will also advance. If corn advances, pork
must follow suit, to a greater or less extent, and
carry up with II all articles OF prime necessity.
IncontTOvertible statistics show that the damage
TO the potato crop of Ireland is 80 serious as to
make it certain that bread of some kind must be
substituted. In England the potato crop is also
in yield and condition much below the results OF
1870 and this deficiency must be made good by
bread. We say by bread, because next to pOta-
toes in price, bread is ranged. Meat Of course Is
too dear possible to the labOring classes but once
or twice per week. With corn at even 81 per
bushe a barrel of kiln-dried corn meal 600 lbs.l
can be purchased at 50, and laid down III Eng
land at say S5 80 or even So. Corn bread Is very
nutritious and would 90 much further toward
maintaining the health and yigOr of the labOrer
than than the same money spent IN potatoes, or
even in meat. Corn at - per bushel, OF even at
30 cents would put millions OF extra dollars into
the pockets of our farmers, not 50 particularly
from the advance in corn, but because with dear
er corn pork would be higher, and they would
ret more for their hogs; -four would advance,
and they would get more for their wheat.
Mr.. j. b. Lawes, OF ROthamstead, England, un-
der date of the I'd inst, writes lengthy and very
carefully prepared letter to the Irish FdrmeT'S
Gazette in which he undeniably shows that the
wheat crop of the United Kingdom for the pres
ent year is fully Is per cent short, and that their
impOrtatiOns of breadstuhs have not only 10 DC
increased that amount, but that about half
million more people are to be fed in the United
Kingdom for the next twelve months than was
the case last year, and to the deficiency must be
added the requirements of these people. MIR.
I.awes proceeds at Length to demonstrate the
truth OF his deductions, and TO exhibit many Of
the chief causes of the deficiency, which details,
though very scientific, and undoubtedly very
interesting 10 English farmers, possesses but
little general interest here. We desire only to be
assured CT the great central fact that the food
crops of the United Kingdom are considerably
short. while consumption has increased. The
hOy If Is mr. yby IL is. II is not important
should know. If the United kinpdOm will want
more foreign grown food than she purchased last
wear and We have less To sell. what follows?
Nothing clearer than an advance IN prices. Ey-
erything now, therefore, viewed by the most re-
liable lights to be obtained, points t. higher
prices Tor wheat, than now prevail.
We are fully aware that many OF our mulers,
and perhaps some Of our merchants; may take
the contrary view and adduce many very plausi-
BILE reasons why prices should decline rather
than advance. But it is always best TO frankly
face the facts, whatever they NAV be, and here
are few: First, the crop OF wheat in this coun-
try-bOth winter and spring-tails to ''pan out,
well. The thresheT's test is the test from which
there is no appeal, and that test reveals the uisa-
Teeable fact that where Is to 20 bushels were ex-
pected, but to II have been realized. This
state of things applies more particularly 70 the
old grain-prOducing areas, of Missouri Illinois,
Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, than to the
fresh fields of Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado
In many localities of the above named places the
crop has been particularly good, but the acreage
ming up. Secondly, California has produced
nearly 80 per cent less of wheat than she did in
1870. Many causes have operated TO induce this
reduction. prominent among which may be noted
the very low price their wheat brought last year,
the extraordinary drOuth which has prevailed
this season, and the ravages OF the chinch bug.
Of the amount of wheat California will export
during the next twelve months very large per-
eentage will 60 to China and Japan in the shape
of -four. In China and Japan, California has
found new and profitable customers The Celes-
Twill
of taking hot rolls along with their tea and there
fore a good deal of the bread material furnished
to England heretofore by California will be cut
of. Thirdly, France is known 70 be in rather
desperate strait as to bTeadStuffS. Her prOduc-
tons during 1871 are twenty-four per cent less
than during 1870, and foreign war and internal
troubles have consumed and wasted her entire
surplus. Formerly France has exported good
deal of wheat TO England, but she must now i'm
port for twelve months TO come at least. Fourth
ly, Spain is reported to be short in all kinds of
food, and the report is corObOrated to some ex-
tent by the fact that she is sending large orders
TO New York for -four for the Cuban trade. This
-four is shipped to Barcelona, and the Spanish
brand put on thence to Cuba, thus saving the -
per barrel tax levied by Spain upon each barrel
Of American -four imported into Cuba. Filthy,
the present attitude of Russia warrants the as
sumption that she means to renew her old quar-
rel with Turkey for territory, in which case a
general war will be brought on, closing the grain
bins of Russia to Europe, and advancing the |
price of cereals and meat to price not now |
drea med of.
From our standpoint these are the facts that |
present themselves, and however unpalatable |
thew NAV now be to the meTs of this city or the |
country at large, the final results, II our views
are correct must be Just as much to their adyan- !
tage as to that of the agriculturists. 1t Is true
that in cases of a rapid advance of the raw ma |
terial the manufactured article does not respond !
with like a.acrity But it is also true that where
raw material suddenly declines the manufactured |
article is slow TO follow consequently one con- |
tinyency is pretty evenly balanced by the other. /
in
sure to be supplemented by rise in flour. And |
il nearly always happens that an advancing and
high market is an active one, consequently the /
capital or credit of the miller becomes dOubly /
available and more profits accrue than during
periods of low prices and dull markets.--S.
Louis Democrat, Sept. 80.