Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-12
How Will the Wheat Crop Of
1880 Sell?

For the past three or four years our
farmers have been fortunate in finding
profitable markets for their wheat crops,
despite the vast additions annually
made to the area under this cereal. The
last report of the Department of Agricul-
ture puts the condition Of this crop
throughout the country at seven per
cent. better this year than at the same
date last year, and moderate estimate
OF the aggregate increase in yield places
1t at 20,OO0,000 bushels. Yet in the face
OF this unparalleled crop, prices now
leave fair margin Of profit to the farmer,
and there is little Or no doubt but that
they will rise considerably so soon as a
moderate export trade shall succeed the
rush which is now overstocking our for
elgn markets, and consequently keep
ing Gown prices there. Stimulated by
their past and present successes with this
crop, there is a strong probability that
our farmers will devote to it the coming
year even a larger area than they have
hitherto done, in the expectation that
next year they will find for it an equally
profitable market. What is the prospect
that this expectation will be realized?
Two circumstances have contributed
chiefly to the good fortune VIC have met
with in our wheat production during the
last few years the crops here have been
excellent, while those abroad have been
more or less deficient, and the shortage
there, fortunately for US, has been in in
verse proportion to the increase here.
The latest trustworthy statistics of the
wheat harvest throughout Europe says
that, taking 100 as representing the aver
age harvest, that of the present year in
Austro- Hungary may be represented by
IS; IN Germany by So; in France by rs;
IN Switzerland by 80; in Italy by rs; in
England by II; in Russia by 70; and in
Roumania by 90. Of course, as the har-
vest, as a rule, has not been threshed
there yet, considerable notifications NAV
have to be made in these figures; but it
is made in these figures; but it is hardly
probable that these notifications will be
tor the better. Even with full average
crops, Europe would require large
measure OF foreign assistance to feed her
teemlng population, and, Of course, with
these deficiencies everywhere in her sup
ply, the amount of foreign cereals
needed to keep her people from
starvation, must be proportionately
greater than in years of average harvests.
Moreover, the wheat crop is not the only
failure across the Atlantic this wear; most
OF the other crops also have been more or
less short, and the deficit in these must
be made up from outside sources, chiefly
IN wheat products, because these can be
transported more easily and cheaper than
any other equivalent form of food.
Is it probable, however; that the pres
ent ill-luck will attend European agri
culture next year2 Will the weather then
be equally disastrous to the farmers ef-
forts and hopes? for the present poor har
vests are on all hands attributed chiefly
or wholly to the exccrable weather which
during the last year has afflicted nearly
the whole of Europe. There are questions
upon which our readers are as we'll able
to speculate as ourselves. They can also
see with equal clearness that an abundant
wheat crop across the Atlantic next wear,
is certain to lessen the demand for our
cereal products, aud as the supply here is
likely to be unusually great, the prices,
in that case, would necessarily be I'm.
usually low, unless a poor crop here bv
diminishing our surplus should increase
the price for it.