Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-04
East Tennessee vs.. Western Corn I'm
the South.
From the Athens Pos

! "Corn Is quoted in ST. Louis at 40 cents
| per bushel; a bushel of corn weighs Sc
pounds; freight from st. Louis to Athens on
100 lbs. corn is "a cents. Corn at Knox
| vile, sacked and delivered in Depot, is quoted
| at 65 cents bushel; freight on 100 lbs. of
| corn from Knoxville to Atlanta, according
| to circular from the latter city, is "a cents,
| or about 102 cents bushel. We refer to
! this, not to complain of railroad tariffs, but
| to let the farmer of East Tennessee know
| that he has got to compete with the West
| for the Southern market-there is no way
| to get around tor consume his surplus
! produce at home. We would be glad if the
| producer could always realize largely on
| his labor and capital, for when he prOspers
| we all prosper. But we have to deal with
tacts-things as they are. 1t will be noticed
! that it takes GA cents to freight 100 pounds
Of corn from St. Louis or Cincinnati to
Atlanta, while 81 cents is the tariff on a
100 pounds from Knoxville to that
point. As stated, there are So pounds
in bushel, which is worth IS cents at
Knoxville and 40 cents at st. Louis. The
difference between the price of a bushel of
corn at the latter point and the former is
25 cents, while the freight from Knoxville
on bushel is fraction over 10 cents, and
from st. Louis little over 81 cents. Now
add the fact that the West produces thirty
or forty bushels to the acre, while we pro
duce not more than ten or fifteen bushels
to the acre, and the simplest mind can see
what's the matter. We couldn't more than
compete with the teeming West were the
railroads to carry our stuff at mere nominal
charges, which we don't think they are
likely to do for year or two yet"
The above paragraph which is clipped
from the Athens, enn., Post, and which
we find copied in the Banner of this city
without comment, is slightly mixed, to say
the least of it, and we are little astonished
that our friend WINS, who has been always
regarded as reliable on facts and figures,
should at this time allow himself to be
switched off on a side track. The
quotations referred to by the Post
are for mixed corn in elevator |
at East st. Louis, stored in bulk. After |
sale is made, say at 4Oc for mixed, it takes |
about five cents per bushel to pay drayage |
over to st. Louis, commission merchants |
charges and bulkage. This makes the /
mixed corn cost in st. Louis proper 45c in |
bulk; if sacked, it will cost seven to eight /
cents more, or 80 to Sc. If choice white, |
it costs about six cents more than the
mixed, or Sc, probably Coo for the street
charges, which brings the price of St. Louis
corn up pretty close to the East Tennessee
figures. Then if we take into consideration
the difference in freights (30c per hundred
more from st. Louis than KnOxville,) or Is
4-5c per bushel, 1t would seem that Ten
nessee ought to compete very successfully
with the West.
As to the Posts conclusion regarding the
amount of corn Tennessee is able to pro-
duce to the acre, we need only remark that
any land worth having, if well worked, will
double the quantity per acre that is set
down in the article above quoted.
In this connection let us refer to the
Nashville market by way of comparison.
White corn is worth in the depot 63 cents
per bushel. The freight to Atlanta is Al
cents per hundred or 22.96 cents per bushel,
making the total cost delivered in Atlanta
1896 cents. The st. Louis mixed, sacked |
and delivered on cars, commissions in
Guided, costs 81 cents, or in the neighbor-
hood of that amount, The freight to Allan
Ia at 64c per 100 lbs. is 1884 Ceats
per bushel, making the total cost delivered
IN Atlanta 1874 cents, leaving a difference
If near two cents in favor of our white as
with the mixed, or five to eight
,ents in favor of our white as compared
With their white. We may remark in adj
iitiOn to what has already been said, that
)ur Tennessee white corn is greatly pre-
erred by all Southern millers being dryer,
better matured and softer grain. When it
s known that we are so much nearer the
Southern market, and having an advantage
If II to Is cents per bushel in freight, it |
ooks like folly to talk of not being able to
ompete with the markets of the West.