Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1876-11-23
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THE OUTLOOK FOR WHEA I

Many farmers are holding BACK
their wheat with the expectation OF
getting better prices in the spring.
But from all the lights before us we
consider it rather risky business, es.
pecially when We look back at the
condition Of things this time last year.
About the incoming Of harvest the
past year in Great Britain the stock O.
old wheat on hand in that country
was stated to be very light, and fears
were entertained that with the inferi-
or crop, which turned out to be the
lowest average per acre that had been
known for many years, breadstutts
would be high and scarce. Capital
was at once diverted largely to the
grain trade. Our markets were called
upon, and during the three months
Of July, August and September there
were shipped from the United States
fifteen million bushels Of wheat
Great Britain had short crop. Cali
fornia bad short crop. Russia, too,
it will be remembered, had short
crop, and everybody believed that
wheat would 60 up. The call upon this
country was accompanied with good
prices. In September the price of
wheat in Great Britain was SO shilings
per quarter. now it is As shlllings.
In New York extra wheat was
SITS, now it is $3.50, and so down
accordingly to quality. The demand
was so good that, from every quarter
supplies poured into Great Britain till
prices settled down and in spite of her
light crop her granaries became stuffed
and keep stuffed up to the present
time. Her granaries remain full, and
on top of Of them comes, first, Great
Blitan's own crop, admitted 10 be
good, aye, SO good, that the best au-
thorities indicate that she will need
some twenty millions bushels less
than she did last year. California
alone has a crop that is estimated as
sure to permit an export Of between
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 conclude it much better one.
The rye crop of Europe Tom all ac-
counts-and it is this crop upon which
the great masses of the people depend
is a much better one than that of
1875. The accounts from France are
tina. the crop Of wheat is much less in
quantity, though much better in quail.
ity than last year. Still the author
tiles of that country differ so much
every year among themselves about
her crops, that it is difficult to arrive
at any definite information on the
subject.
But this much we know, that with
the stock of last year S crop yet held
in this country, and this years crop,
there is not near so good show for
better prices as fere 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 supply as to weight
the market so heavily that no perma-
nent rise need be looked Cor unless
it be that the crop Of next year will
meet with some extraordinary disas-
:er-a circumstance not very likely
to occur. There are many who count
largely on the wheat crop of the
northwestern states being estimated
by the agricultural department at
Washington at one third less than
last year. But even if this were so
(Which we very much doubt, } the sur
plus crop Of California would more
than make up the difference.
The above is the look at present, SO
far as wheat is concerned ; what chan
ges may occur between now and the
next harvest Of course we cannot for
tel but we see nothing by which a
hope can be based that prices will
improve.
z
Corn DIET FOR SToCK.-An exclu-
sive corn diet will ruin any animal. II
is contrary to nature laws that the
horse, COW, sheep or hog whose natu
raj food is grass, should, when winter
comes on and this fresh succulent