Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-07-14
THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

i am a farmer myself and claim
to know some little about the cost
and trouble of raising wheat. Ialso
feel deep interest in the prosperity
of all farmers, and think that ev-
cry one should feel the same way
who sincerely desire prosperity in
all branches OF business generally;
for it is a well-knOwn fact that al
most the entire wealth of our coun-
try must come from the producer,
the miner and the manufacturer, and
much the largest bulk from the pro-
Queer, or farmer. In order that the
farmer may prosper he must receive
fair price for his products, and
whilst he is willing for the specula-
tor to make fair profit he cannot
afford to give him all, as he did, for
instance, in regard to his wheat crop
last year. Last summer the farmer
received for his wheat from 70 to so
cents (less than the cost of produc-
ton, when the many failures of
crops are taken into consideration,
whilst the miller and speculatOr
sold flour made of the same wheat
at from $40 to S12 per barrel-about
one hundred per cent. profit. The
spectators of the great grain centers
of Chicago, st. Louis, New York
and other places (including Mont
gOmery county, have their traps set
to do the same thing again this year,
but if the farmers will only exercise
proper nerve and caution they can
throw them without being caught.
For the benefit of those who choose
to read this article attach some es-
Inmates compiled from reliable sour
ces. During the years from 1864 to
1873, inclusive, the average exports
of wheat in those years from Russia
were 4S, 825, 456 bushels, Great Brit
ain took an average import of about
1000, 900 bushels and the continent
an average Of about 29,000,0O0 BUSH
els. France usually imports through
Marseilles from April to August, in
elusive, from 100000 to 10000, 900
bushels of wheat, which has usually
been obtained from the regions of
the Black and AZOf Seas. Futher-
more, Italy has usually imported
considerable wheat from these sour
ces ofsupply. The exports of Indian
corn from the South Russian port of
Odessa have been annually from
two to four million bushels, and in
1877 it has been expected, with a
peace footing, that large exports of
maize would have been made from
the port Of Odessa as well as from
the Danube. The war now going
on will cut off from Western Europe
these sources of supply excepting
what shall reach the Baltic ports.
Shipments from California and
Oregon have been about entirely
suspended, and Australia will have
but little surplus wheat to export
and that Will be mostly, if not all,
taken by the neighboring British
Colonies, including Cape Colony.
The shipments of wheat from Brit
ish East India are not expected to
be as large rs in 1876. France, Bel
gium, Denmark and Germany all
had short wheat and rye crops in
1876. The visible supply of wheat
i'm the United States and Canada,
excepting the Pacific Coast, was, on
the DIST of April, 1877, 7,49O, 275
bushels against l., S54, 100 bushels on
April 22d, 1876, and with light eX
port demand it is being rapidly di-
minished. The wheat crop of Cali
fornia for 1877 is much less than was
expected owing to the drouth, some
of the best wheat-groWing districts
making but very little.
Taking the above facts into con-
Sideration the farmer can safely cad
culate on q lalf pflce IOf MS wheat
if he will only take time enough to
consider and not be in too great a
hurry to get the money for it. l do
not presume to offer the farmer any
advice upon the subject, but my
humble opinion is, if he can thresh
his wheat dry and put it away in
good keeping condition he should
take re,Y reluctdRtly$l 5per bushel
for it, and if he wishes to get more
for it he can do 50 by holding it I'M
til next November or December.
G.. IL. :.
st. Bethlehem, Tenn, July ID,
1877.
FROM ASHLAND CITY.