The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-14
THE CROPS.

cited 80 general interest as this year but
The reports relative cthereto have been as
as the figures of kaleidoscope.
AT one time, the country has been raised to
the top wave of expectation only to be en-
gulphed the next moment in despair. Per-
haps this has always been more or less 30,
as there are always the same elements OF
uncertainty to be taken into consideration
when estimating the prospects of crop
yet to be grown, but, this year, it has
seemed as if the worst lforebodings of the
chronic croakers were to be realized.
Everything. at first, seemed favorable for
a large crop. A larger acreage was under
cultivation, the wheat was very promising,
and, although the season was backward,
we we're promised an unusual crop of corn,
then came the grasshoppers, and we were |
led to believe that the most fertile portions |
of the west were laid bare by their ravages,
and hope went down to zero. Soon it was
ascertained that the grasshopper pest was
confined to very limited space, and that
IN a section of country which was of little
Importance as a grain growing region, and
we took courage again.
AS courage was reviving came reports of
disastrous floods IN Europe, and these,
when Invested of exaggeration, made it
evident that Europe would need all of our
surplus crop, and the markets responded
to the expected demand and the country
saw IN the fall sure revival of business.
1t is, perhaps, natural that the market and
the country should feel the slightest change
in the prospects of the crop, for with the
prospective foreign demand, surplus at
home means an increased movement of
produce both by land and water, buoyant
money market, a distribution of currency
among the people, partial revival of bust
ness, and is, also, an important factor in
the problem of specie rcsumption-as all
breadstutfs transported to Europe is re-
turned to this country in specie or its
equivalent All this we seemed to see in
the European floods and our own crop
prospects,, and many were ready to give
thanks for the misfortunes of others mas
much as their loss was our gain. While
engaged in building these air castles, and
following the example of the milkmaid in
reckoning up our gains from an unharvest-
cd crop, we were thrown back into de-
spondency and gloom by the reports of the
disastrous storms and floods in our own
country-in, as it was said, the heart of
the grain growing region of the west.
AS with the grasshoppers, and as is al
ways the case with disasters involving the
destruction of property, we now find that
the first reports were grossly exaggerated,
and that while some portions of the coun-
try suffered severely, the real grain grow
ing regions of the west were comparative
ly unharmed-we say comparatively,
because while there has been more or less
damage to crops, relatively the crops will
be larger than last year. 1t is now so late
in the season, and grain is so near maturi-
ty, some of it having been already harvest
ed, that it seems impossible that, perhaps
with the exception of corn, any future at
mospheric changes can affect the present
prospect. AS to corn, we make the follow
ing extract from letter to the Cincinnati
Gazette from a correspondent dispatched
to the Wabash valley for the express pur-
pose of examining into and reporting on
the condition-and that valley was selected
because it had been the most exposed to
the recent floods. He says: GAIL crops
are much damaged, but with good wea-
ther in August and the absence of pre-
mature frosts, to which corn is always
exposed, the aggregate crops will be
"much better than last year. There would
"have been an immense crop of corn had
no damage been done. AS it is, it will
be larger than last year, with good grow
ing and manturing weather from this
time forward. The yield of oats would
have been enormous, but while this crop
has suffered most, the yield will still be
better than last year. The crop of hay
twas heavy, but it has been damaged
Flaxseed has suffered. The potato CROP
9" will be large. Pastures are very good
And, as appears from the August report OF
the department Of agriculture, the favor.
able reports come up from all parts of the
west.
The condition of oats, rye, barley, hay,
potatoes, etc., is above the average, but the
most important is wheat, and in reference
to this Senator Window, from the very
middle of the ''wheat garden" of Mime
sofa, reports that the crop is in excellent
condition, that the farmers are now en-
gagged in harvesting, and, unless heavy
rains should set in within the next two
weeks, there will be an unusually large
crop harvested in good condition. The de.
partment of agriculture reports that the
average condition of wheat throughout the
entire country is eighty-two-tha, is, the
average yield per acre, and as the acreage
was much larger than ever before, the
whole yield of the country will be larger
than in former years. In the south At
lantic and gulf states, the report says, that
the average is from one hundred and two tc
one hundred and nineteen, which taking
into the account the acreage, shows vast
increase over last year.
If these prospects are realized, it is ev
ident that large quantities of breadstuff,
must flow from this country to Europe, an(
that we shall receive in return therefor
specie or its equivalent. The export o.
breadstuffs is constantly increasing in i'm
portance, and wheat has supplanted cottor
as king. Two years prior to the war w
only exported little over three millions o
bushels; during the war, the export ranged
from twenty three millions to thirty-sll
milliQna of hiiaLala apaiiau,. In 12GG 1