The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-08-21
On sRLLlN0 PRODuCn.

The minnesota Fdrmer's Union id.
vises The farmers Of Minnesota to cell
their wheat As soon as possible, which
is certainly good advice, if By "pos-
sible" is meant Il satisfactory prices.
The Wisconsin Wes.ern Farmer, com.
menting thereon, is not prepared TO
give 40 positive advice, but believes
thus: q -, ..sy.gs !.
The farmer who makes it q. practice
to sell 81 his crops y soon y they are
ready for the market, as : general rule,
do q we'll In ! long serics Of years, Is
he:Who holds his crops on speculation.
Ifafirmer selh his wheat, oatsg and
barley in August and gets the money
tor them, he ruus the, risk OF having
lost 40 opportunity of getting = larger
price some moaths later. But against
this he oaa place the facts that he has
saved shrinkage, wastage, ratage.. and
danger Of loss by fire., rain Or thieves
and has avoided the risk VI having so1
accept lower prices after holding the
crops perhaps year or more
There has been much wheat brought
into the markets, so far, that was IN.
mark table, from having been ,hreshed
90 early that it was yet soft and unfit
for milling. As a consequence, it was
sold ut loss either to tho farmer or
shipper. The farmer who hulds his
wheat Is not necessarily a Spectator.
If it wore the policy Of every grower in
the country to sell his grain, wheat,
barley, oats, corn, etc as soon as har.
vested, it would intensity the specula.
ton already carried on in grain ; and
rings and other combinations would
monopolize aud entirely control the
grain trade Of the country. 1t should
be the policy of the farmer to keep
himself posted in relation to current
and future prices. lie knows or ought
to know, the cost Of production, aud he
alone should be the judge Of the profit
that should accrue upon its sale. Those
who make practice Of rushing their
produce into market At . fixed time Of
the year, simply take the chances, for
good or evil IS they happen to occur,
thereby leaving sagaoity and business
tact out Of the question altogether. |
The farmer osn save bis grain in .
proper granary, which every COED far
mex should have, IS oheaply aud with |
a. little loss in shrinkage, wsstags, rat.
age, aud loss by Gro, ~ can tho gram |
merchant or speoulator, and if he sell !
his grain while yet green, instead Of |
saving shrinkage, he loses it and inter.
est besides.
The Board of Warehouse Commis-
sioners Of illinois have fixed grades on !
grain especially to apply to new grain,
until such time as it may be thor.
oughly seasoned. The probability is
that the foreign demand for wheat will !
not be large this season. Reports are |
that the wheat crop of tho United !
States is 40,000,00o bushels larger |
than the great crop of the last season. |
The inference, therefore, is natural
that present prices will not be sustain
cd. But We should not advise farmers
to be eager to sell before the grain is
properly seasoned. If able to hold bis |
grain, he should not be terrified at the |
fear of becoming . Spectator. A natu.
raj inference would be that two full |
crops will not be followed by . third.
Therefore, it might be =. good sound
business policy for the farmer not to
part with more of his wheat than cir
cumstances hecessitate.- Western Ru-
raj, Chicago.