Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-06
THE POSITION OF WHEAT.
Conflicting Views of the Standard
Authorities.

A strong Speculative FeeIing-PrOE
able Extent Of the Damage TO tn
CrOP-Decrease Of Our Exports
EurOPe's supply.
New York Tribune, May 3.
The reports from the West and South Q
the serious injury to the winter wheat hay
induced q strong speculative feeling, AM
there can be no doubt that these report
are well founded; Of this we have abun
dant proof, but the extent of the damag
cannot be accurately arrived at until ate
the middle Of May, or until they have thei
usual warm spring rains. Where thu
ground was protected by snow up to tht
29tl of April, no injury is reported. TIL,
cold dry weather from the 9Th of April Z
the 22d of that month was too severe foI
the plant, and if unprotected by snow, W.
fear warm rains now cannot save it. W.
learn from the West that farmers are pillow.
ing up their wheat fields, and in many
cases putting in spring wheat. This, We
think, is a mistake, especially south of thi:
latitude; we think it would be far bet
ter TO plant Indian corn or SOW oats,
Early last autumn, the attentive reader will
remember, we took a mole hopeful view
Of the future Of wheat Just harvested than
mOSt,writers here and in Europe then enter
tanned; indeed, they almost invariably took
a very different view Of the future. 1t viii
be remembered we very early commenced
to consume the crop of 1874. Here and in
Europe, supplies everywhere being exhaust
eA and Notwithstanding the crop here and
in Europe was equal to any ever produced,
-a@nH -aa-a N--H--- - ---sH-w~ nare rs-I@ -
the fact that the crops Of Indian corn, rye,
o2lS and barley were not above tWO-thirds
Of an average; hence, with very limited
supplies in the granary, both here and in
Europe, and a marked deficiency in the hay
and root crops, here as well as in Europe,
We felt very confident that wheat must be
largely used in their stead, and after an in
terval Of six months time u expectations
have been fully confirmed. The cOnsump-
ton Of wheat and common -four by horses
and cattle in Great Britain, il is now stated,
is fully 100000 bushels, and on the Con-
tinent the estimate is about I2,0O0,-
600, which aggregate 20,0OO,OO0;
now to this add the quantity used by
MASTERS and distillerS, and We shall find
ere next harvest that farmers here and in
Europe will not hold any considerable pOr-
ton Of their last crop. The imports into
Great Britain for the week ending with
9th of April exceed 2,550,OCO bushels;
hence we think they have sustained prices
remarkably well. The quantity now stlOat
for Great Britain is ABOUT 100000 bush
els. The falling of in the exports from
this coast, as well as from California and
Oregon the past fortnight is very noticeable,
and we fear our exports will continue to
fall below former estimates. The intelli-
gence published in another column from
California, in regard to their wheat crop,
is the most important received for a long
time. 1t is very certain that their exports
the coming season will fall greatly below
that Of last year, and this, in connection
with the injury to the winter wheat in the
Old States, is Of very great importance,
both in a financial and commercial point
of view.
New York Bulletin, May 3.
From the mass Of contradictory, and, ap-
parentlY exaggerated, reports Of the past
two weeks of the damage done tothe crops
by the recent cold weather, it appears rea-
sOnably certain now that winter wheat has
sustained greater damage BY winter billing
than the more conservative have been in
clined 10 believe, until within the past few
DAYS. This view Of the case IS borne out
by private correspondence from sources
That ought 20 be well Informed. II appears
these statements that the later dis
have been less cOlOred, from the
fact that through large sections the farmers
actually blowing up their wheat fields
for other crops, the average being dlstri6-
uted between spring wheat, corn and oats
something like equal parts, it would
seem. As before indicated, those sections
over and ere mostly restricted to
Southern Ohio and Indiana, Central Hi
.Ois and Northern Missouri, although in
indiana il reaches in some places to the In
terror Of the State, in Illinois to the north
srn portion and in Missouri to the centre.
North Of these localities the snow protect
ed the roots. and south If it the winter
was not severe enough to injure them.
The belt described promises therefore
not over a t~WO-thirds, and possibly not
over a half crop, while north Of it the pros
pect is good for an average yield, and south
Of il for mOIe than that. From this, in
connection with the increased acreage Of
wheat, it would seem safe to autici-
pate about a tWO-thirds crop, possibly more,
and certainly not less. This state Of af-
fairs, however, will tend to the sowing Of a
acreage Of spring wheat, Of which al
ready indications are not wanting in the
spring wheat States. With a good season,
is likely, therefore, that the total crop Of
he United States will be an average n e
So far as winter wheat prospects are con-
the Agricultural Departments re-
port for April, although Of little value in
and Of itself, supports this view of the
Ease.
1t may be said that the belief in a short
Top has put the price % winter wheat in
he Western markets so high that it can
not be brought here, nor ground by West
srn millers to send here, even at the SOC
obtained on winter wheat hOurs
.ast week, while there is no winter wheat
ln this market at &c advance.