The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-09-18
The Grain Crop-It Augurs a Heavy
Yield of Business.

III political economists are right in
asserting that good grain crop is the
foundation of national commercial pros
perity, the year 1874-5 ought 20 be one
OF unusual progress, for never has such
year for grain been known. Through
out the grain growing portions of the
world the crops are abundant. In the
United States the winter-sown wheat
crop is estimated to be thirty per cent.
above the average, and it is from this
crop that all the fine family flour is
made. The California crop is especially
remarkable. The question of markets
is the one that will perplex farmers and
railroad carriers most. With such
abundant supplies throughout the world,
what is going to be done with the sur
plus; and who will buy wheat at 81. 25 a
bushel? Some r-seeing shippers say
that wheat, and consequently flour,
must come down in price considerably.
Indeed there are few large operators
who say that they would not be sur
prised to see wheat selling at seventy
five cents a bushel, or cheaper than
corn. Corn, on the contrary, is very
high in price, with the prospect of very
poor crop III consequence of the want
of sunny weather. Corn which sold at
this time last year at seventy-two cents
a bushel is now quoted Mt ninety-one to
ninety-two cents and, as it is said by
many that there is still a successful
corner in corn, covering every exchange
from Chicago to Liverpool, the extent
of the supplies that come forward is
entirely optional with those who at
present have an efficient control of the
market. However, two weeks of the
excessive hot weather, from which
suffering so much, might quickly give
another complexion to things. The re-
suit of the high price OF corn is shown
III the provision market. The high
price has prevented farmers from rais-
ing hogs, and the price of pork and
lard has consequently increased nearly
100 per cent. III the last year. The
crop of spring sown wheat is far below
that of winter sown. There is, how
ever, no falling off in the aggregate
crop, for, although the crop is little
below the average, this loss is more
than compensated for by the increased
acreage sown. The acreage sown with
barley, too, was much larger this year
500, 200 acres, against 432, 400 acres in
1873. The barley yield in 1873 was
3,Sl3,0 centals the estimated yield
for 1874 is 1856, 200 centals, an enor-
nous proportionate increase of pro-
duction over that of 1873. With the
vast grain crops to handle and dis
tribute, the Produce Exchange must
have plenty of business to attend to this
fall, provided only that farmers can
manage to harmonic railroad freight
charges with the prices, which are low
not only at home but abroad. Great
Britain will be the only buyer of wheat
this year, and her deficiency was far be-
low the average, and her market prices
are falling. Other European markets
which supplied themselves from our
overlooking granaries last year, have
this year got enough and to spare of
their own and it is more than probable
that they will enter into a very lively
competition with this country in sup
plying the wants of Great Britain. But
If the farmers and the railroad people
are alike reasonable, there is no reason
why the grain trade of 1874 should be
not only of very heavy character, but
also prosperous and profitable one
NeD York Times