Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-08-20

TIA latest crop reports from across
TIA Atlantic are much more gloomy
than even those of last week. A
fortnight ago the Mark Lane Express
said: Should rain continue, the bay
crop win be useless, except as manure
The condition of wheat is unimproved.
Barley..in heavy land is nearly ruined
Nothing but the speedy advent OF SUD-
shine can prevent an almost general
failure of the principal crops On
Wednesday last Mr.. Mech despondent'
IL reports: Another week OF flooding
storms and low temperature has put
the finishing touch to the agricultural
disaster. 1t ia row too late for crops
to recover. On ill-farmed and undrain-
ed lands the matter is simple ruinous.
Wheat vii! suffer less than spring
crops:' Thus it appears that the
newspapers disastrous anticlpatlons
have been realized, and that the out
look for the harvest in England is any
thing but encouraging,
The unfayorable weather that has
proved SO disastrous Ito English crops,
has been nearly as fatal to those across
the Channel. Already the Bank Of
France has raised its rates OF discount
in order to keep gold at home, IN view
Of the prospective heavy drain OF specie
TO this country IN payment Of the large
quantities of grain needed to supple
ment her shortened harvest. 1t IS ex'
pscted that from eighty to one hundred
thousand bushels of foreign wheat alone
will be required to keep France from
starving during the coming year. Re-
ports from Spain, just received, indicate
that peninsula also must buy in our
markets; and it IS not improbable that,
owing to the poor harvest, the ministry
will be forced to admit grain, at least
temporarily, free of duty. A tax upon
the bread OF q starving people is an
anomaly in civilized countries in these
days. Northern Italy has been swept
by food and storm, and It's crops are,
therefore, scanty, but those OF the SOU
them part ofthe country are said to be
q good average.
The large deficit in the food supply OF
the Old World during the present year
must be mainly supplied from the New
Large quantities OF grain from past har-
yeats are still held ia Odessa and other
Black Sea ports, and, according to Sat-
urdsy's kilograms, there. seems to be,
as yet, no rush Of buyers but the pros
poets for the present harvest throughout
the greater part Of the Russian wheat
Eelt, are so extremely disastrous that
1t is not improbable that large portion
Of the reserved stock will be needed Tor
Aome consumption. The rayages of
sterms aud locusts there seem to have
Been tar more ruinous than last weeks
rsports indicated, and already the Cars
ATTENTION has been urgently called to
Shs matter as a national calamity.
The crop reports from all over the
country, which our friends have ena-
sled US during the year to place before
cur readers, will give fair idea OF the
ability ofthe New World to feed the
Old. 4 few Of our cereal products,
such as barley, are, nearly everywhere,
q tribe below good average, others
ere injured more or less severely here
and there but, on whole, the harvest
j. pretty certain to be asood one-not
IN exceptionally abundant one by any
means, but yet, IN view Of the fair
prices almost certain, good enough to
III the agricultural community out OF
NEST ofits troubles, and to place the
nation at large on firm road to pros
perIty. There is, however, an old say
ing which tells Of the imprudence OF
shouting before getting out OF the
woods and it must be borne in mind
that a great deal Of the crops is still
sabject to mshaps from insect pests
and the weather. Already the ravages
ofgyseboppsrs are reported 10 be ex-
eeedingly disastrous IN the western
counties Of Minnesota and Nebraska,
while reesst storms have played havoc
With the crops in several parts OF
Minnesota, Iowa aud Endrensin.
These mishaps at home and the ad-
vices from abroad have already produc-
ed 10 sharp advance in the prices OF all
cereals, as may be seen by our market
reports, and it is among the probabili'
ties hat prices will go higher still. Oh
course, all the speculations on this head
are subject to so many unforeseen con-
tingenciss that 1t would be imprudsnt to
speak definitely on such matters where
the conduct Of others might be infuenc'
ed BY the utterance. Whoever might
be able to prophesy unerringly with re-
gard 70 the future prices Of grain this
year,couIa easily make his way to place
ameng the millionaires Of the country
The safest course, therefore, is. from
time to time, to place candidly before
others all the circumstances likely t
infuesse priees, and let each form hi
own opinion as to the reliability of any
views expressed on the matter.