The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-11-08
VOL. XXII---NO. "A.
farlWers' Golnlull.
speed the PIOic."
Our Wheat CrOp-Shall We Sell Early


The wheat crop of 1878 deserves more
than passing notice, as it is estimated the
largest in the history of this country, or,
perhaps, in the world. 1t is rather early
to be too positive of such conclusion, but
present indications point strongly that
way. Should such prospects be realized,
prices must certainly decline to a figure
below which it can be produced without
loss to the farmers, and of which they
should not complain, as they have for sew
eral years reaped fair crops at full prices,
and have been less effected by the panic
than any other of our industrial classes
From what the writer can learn there is a
| strong disposition to thresh out and sell off
their wheat crops as early as possible, in
order to realize the best prices. This adj
vice is given generally by agricultural
journals, and may not be out of place as
rule, but there are two sides to this as well
as any other question.
We may, or rather we will not be likely
to see such general good wheat crop for
II time at least, and possibly another year
may bring with it quite an offset to this
bountiful crop, which would be nothing
unusual. With these possibilities would
it not be better not to rush off too large
proportion of the present crop at once g.
Should there be only moderate foreign
demand, it will have to remain in the coun-
try at any rate, and would it not ALWAYS
be better for the producer as we'll as the
consumer, if the greater proportion of the
surplus was held by the farmer instead of
by spectators 1t would certainly pre-
vent the sudden fluctuations which are 80
common where any article of commerce is
largely in the hands of the latter.
In reference to future crops, would like
to dissipate the prevailing notion that we
can no longer raise wheat crops, such as
our fathers did. That the seasons have
much bearing upon our success or failure
to raise good crops, l fully admit, but we
also know that the Supreme Ruler has ad-
justed the laws of nature in such manner
that they do not prove strictly uniform
each season, and that our forefathers' eff.
forts to raise wheat were subject to these
same irregularities, and they had no spe-
cial advantage over us except larger pro-
portion of virgin soil; but one thing we
had better keep in mind is, there has been
scarcely season in score of years that
there were not some fields of good wheat
even in year of general failure, which
should teach US this lesson, that the cause
of our failure is not altogether owing to
climatic influences-either our fields were
not in the proper condition or our seed was
not all right, or something else within hui
man control was wanting.
No thanks to him who raises good crops
in favorable seasons, but he who always or
generally succeeds in raising fair to good
crops, when all around him fail {; it is he
who deserves credit for overcoming the OBJ
stacles which have caused failures with his
neighbors. Such instances may be seen
all over the country, not only applicable to
wheat but to other crops as WELL Now, if
our soil is to some extent exhausted for the
purpose of raising certain crops, and we
make efforts to extract therefrom what is
not in it, we deserve failure, since we have
access to fertilizers which contain the ne
cessary ingredients to mature any crop we
may wish to raise. All that is required is
to ascertain what is lacking therein and
supply such deficiency, and we may just as
well put ourselves squarely down to some
process of this kind, for bountiful mother
earth will not be cheated of her Just dues
without giving US fair notice when we tax
her too heavily.-H N. Engle, in Ohio Far
Uer