The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1877-09-12
Wheat.

though rye, oats, and barley have been
produced in ABUNDANCE neither is avalla.
bic for shipment; they must be utilized
where raised: Wheat now, IS the only
marketable commodity to any extent, that
Lincoln county has To dispose Of. AT a
later period in the fall and winter there
will be an increased amount of pork to
be marketed and the corn crop bids fair
to aid in that line. We have endeavored
to keep pace with the market reports,
through our exchanges, that we might be
enabled to form some satisfactory conclu-
| slon rs to the prospect of firm price, or
a reliable basis, be the price more or less.
But we are yet unable to find what Is sat
istactory, and we never have read such Il
diversity of opinions upon topic of such
general concern, as the press is Carry
ing at the Dresen. time. ..,
Since our last article upon this topic,
the markets IN LeMars and Vcrmillion
have raised from ~ to 81 cents for wheat,
per bnshel, and firm at that. The reason
assigned is the milling demand. How
long this will exist is Of course unknown,
and cannot be approximatcd. But a
small fraction Of the great crop has yet
been marketed, or even thrashed, and with
each week from now on more grain will
be thrashed and moved to the elevators,
which fact may tend to lower the price
in proportion to the amount thrown into
market.
1t IS said that the wish is often father
to the thought" and sometimes in weay-
ing web of probabilities, become blind.
ed by it Of the real truth, and it may be so
with US now; but in looking over the dry
statistical tables Of our American Agrl-
cultural reports we are more firmly i'm
pressed than ever that the theory advanc-
ell ia oUr former article is borne out by
facts. That was, that foreign demand
woald enhance the price, and that that
demand seemed inevitable, either inaedi-
ate or within a few m ,ntils at farlhcst.
Tabular st.teru.nts are dry, but the
juiciness is apparent when from their liz,
ures we can solve a problem Of comfort,
or one Of selfish interest.
1t may appear strange to many readers,
but it is a fact that breweries and distil-
leries have more to d. with the keeping
of the price of bread5tuffs at q high
fg.re than tue real dem lad for eating
The United States, at an estimate OF 49,
O0o,0 900 Of people, in round numbers, pro-
duces at an average of forty bushels per
head. Elrope, with apnpulation Of less
than 3Jo,oJo,oJJ. raises sixteen bushels
per head. Russia tweniy-six bushels, and
Great Britain foar bushels per head Fiji
teen bushels is the average estimate that
is consumed by al individual, and upon
this basis the United States averages
surplus of about three times as much as
we need Russia little less than twice
the amount it requires. Europe no more
than needed; but Great Britain bat little
over onef3urtll. From this table is de-
duced the fact that all the productions
raised in the grain growing countries
lhroug ughout the world exceeds the con-
sumption, largely; and US stated, the
great excess is secured by the brewers and
distillers.
The Washington Bureau estimates the
entire product Of the United States, at
1900, 100000 bushels, and the French
government as the total product of Eu-
rope, 4,994,0OO,OO0 The United States
now produces and exports more grain
than any country in the world. Russia,
which was, until within the past ten years,
powerful competitor, now must yield
the palm to Uncle Sam, in foreign mar
kets. Ten years ago we furnished Eng
land with only IA per cent. of her imports
of wheat, and in 1878, the last great crop
before the present one, our exports to
England we're Al per cent, and Russia,
the same year, was % per cent less; and
Our facilities in machinery and through
the tranways Of commerce enables the
American dealer to put grain on ship
board Is per cent. less than the Russians
can do.
Now, with our immense surplus and
increasing facilities, both in producing
and moving qualities,-in the fact that
the two powers, Russia and Turkey, Chat
have heretofore furnished upwards of %
per cent. of England's supplies) are, by
their war with each other, prevented from
exporting to any noticeable extent; in the
terrible famine raging in India; in the
probable protracted conflict between Eu-
ropean powers, cutting of supplies from
those sources; IN these, together with the
demand that is, beyond question, on the
increase from foreign shores; and in the
eve OF the fact that British importers are
building six iron vessels of the largest
size, to be used exclusively in the trans
portalion of American grain, and also the
further fact that the crop is some l2,ooO,-,
600 bushels less for export from Calitor-
MIA than formerly, all combined, leads us
to no other conclusion than the demand
thus occasioned, will bring grain far
above its present rate, so that the Dakota
farmer will realize at least in the immedi-
ate neighborhood Of 90 cents q bushel. ~
The same s,atistician estimates that our
surplus will be at least 5,500,OoO bushels
over home demand or home consumption,
or % to 30 per cent. greater than last year.
The above are Of course only estimates,
but made by men who have made It their