South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-11-24
The Outlook for Wheat.

Many farmers are holding back their
wheat with the expectation of better
prices in the spring. But "from all the
lights before us" we consider it rather
risky business, especially when we
look back at tie condition Of things this
time last year. About the incoming of
harvest the past year in Great Britain
the stock of old wheat on hand in that
country was stated to be very light, and
fears were entertained that with the in.
ferior crop. which turned out to be the
lowest average per acre that had been
known for many years, breadstuffs would
be high and scarce. Our markets were
callcdupou, and during the three months
of July. August and September there
were shipped from the United States fif.
teen millions bushels Of wheat. Great
Britain had short crop, Russia, too, it
will be remembered, had short crop,
and everybody believed that wheat
would go up. The call upon this coun.
try was accompanied with good prices.
In September the price of wheat in Great
Britain was 53 shillings per quarter,
now it is As shillings.
In New York extra wheat was quoted
ut $40, now it is $3.50, and so down
according to quality. The demand was
so good that, from every quarter. sup.
plies poured into Great Britain till pri-
ces settled down, and in spite of her
light crop her graneries became stuffed,
and keep stuffed up to the present time.
Her granerics remain full, and on top of
them comes, first, Great Britain's own
crop, admitted TO be good, aye, so good,
that the best authorities indicate that
she will need some twenty millions OF
bushels less than she did last year.
California alone has crop that is esti
mated rs sure to permit an export of
twenty and thirty millions OF bushels.
Certainly the wheat crop of Russia has
met with no such disastrous drouth as
befel it last year, and hence we may
coincide in q much better one.
The rye crop Of Europe from all &C.
counts-and it is the crop upon which
the great masses OF the people depend
is a much better one than that of 1879.
The accounts from France are that the
wheat crop is much less in quantity,
though much better in quality than last
year. Still the authorities of that coun-
Wy ''hSi SO 'Si ihUSh SNCii chi uhIOnS
themselves about her crops, that it is
difficult TO arrive ut any definite infor-
nation on the subject.
But this much we know, that with the
stock Of last years crop. yet held in this
country, and this years crop, there ia
not near so good q show for better prices
as there was this time last year. We
certainly must look for low average of
prices for some months to come, and
then, as last year, any advance in prices
is sure TO bring out such n supply rs TO
weigh the markets so heavily that no
permanent rise need be looked for, un.
less it be that tho crop Of next year will
meet with some extraordinary disaster
"A circumstance not very likely TO oc.
cur. There arc many who count large.
ly on the wheat crop of the Northwest
ern States, being estimated by the Ag-
ricultural Department ut Washington at
one.third less than last year. But even
II this we're so, (Which we very much
doubt the surplus crop Of California
would more than make up the difference
The above is the look ut present, so
far as the wheat market is concerned,
what changes may occur between now
and next harvest Of course We cannot
| foreteil, but VIC see nothing by which q
hope can be based that prices will i'm
prove. baltimore Sun.