The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-01-17

whole Mississippi Valley; and the proba-
blity is THAT the acreage for the coming sca-
son VIII be largely inreased. Before our farm
ers follow the crowd perhaps the remarks be,
low of a correspondent of The n. V Sun may
be OF value:
Thousands of men have worked steadily,
since the first of last May, on the prairies of
the West and Southwest, getting the virgin
sod in condition for the seed. 1t is not an eX-
aggeratiOu to say that in the States of Nebraska
Kansas and Texas over IA million acres of pral-
RE sod have been turned over, fitted and sOwn
10 wheat tho past season. In the same states
the acreage that winter wheat was harvested
from last summer has been rcSown, and very
large additions have been made to 1t from
spring wheat corn, oats and barley lands. The
men who have done the greater part of this
immense work depend on the crop of 1880 for
their future prosperity If disaster overtakes
the crop, or the price be low, they are ruined.
Those that have railroad lands will be unable
to meet their payments. Those who have
homesteads or entries will be forced to prove
up and mortgage their lands
Under the most skillful management it costs
forty cents to raise and market Il bushel o.
wheat when the yield is twenty bushels per
acre. The average crop is seldom fifteen bush
els per acre At that yield the cost is "A trac-
ton over fifty cents per bushcl. The cost of
production is as low rs il can possibly be. The
probabilities are that it ilCost more to produce
wheat in the future than it has in the few years
last past as the revived manufacturing inter
ests are giving employment TO many men who
otherwise would be working on farms.
In 1878 there was Il shortage in the wheat
crop of Europe. We, from our abundance,
spared them during the twelve months ending
last June, 122 353 936 bushels of wheat of the
value OF $l30,1 ,0i0-an average of $l.0G per
bushel The Sl.OG received for the wheat does
not represent the price paid to the farmer. The
producer received $l0G less the transportation
charges for from 700 to 100 miles; less the
elevator charges commissions of middlemen,
and inspection charges. These combined
charges are so excessive that throughout Kan.
sas wheat sold in the months OF Septem per and
October 1873, at from - cents to 60 cents per
bushcl for sound, bright No. . of the St Louis /
grade The charges from the other wheat
fields, with the exception Of the Red River
were equally oppressive 1t is very
doubtful If any farmer, in the strictly wheat
growing country, cleared 20 cents per bushel
on his wheat last year; many did not net )
cents per buShCl. If the average crop were |
fifteen bushels per acre. will here say that
no state IN our Union has ever yet made that
average, as the fields that are winter killed or
not harvested for other reasons are never re.
turned to the collector of statistics-then the
cost of production was 80 cents per bushcl,
and the farmer who sold wheat at from 40 to
GO cents per bushel lost cents or made 10
cents; and on that profit, if it were profit, he
could not live and keep free of mortgages.
During the present year disaster befcll the
IL.
the rest of Europe made short crops even Rus
STA having but little to sell Under the unpre.
demands made on us for our surplus
wheat has advanced IN price to
$l.3S for No. , winter IN the export port OF
New York. This price affords the farmer a
big profit, and has tended to add to the excite.
ment now prevailing in the Mississippi Val
ley about the raising of wheat Without any
as to the cause of the increase in
value of the grain, the majority Of the farmers
have blindly concluded that these prices are
to rule next year Therefore they have sown
broadly this fall, and will SOW broadly next
spring of spring wheat.
For the tour years last past England has
made poor wheat crops The great wheat sell
er Of Europe has been engaged in a costly war
with Turkey, and since the close of the war
her farming population have been restless, dis
she Is this year. is spectacle not often seen. Sap
pose that all Europe make average crops next
year, and that all European nations, excepting
England, have wheat to sell-then what will
american wheat be worth? This condition
II affairs can confidently be looked for. We
cannot go on praying, or at least hoping, for
disaster To overtake the agriculture of Europe,
with any reasonable chance that our prayers
will be answered or our hopes fulfilled. If
hey make a crop, and we are again blessed
With redundant harvcstS, what will wheat be
worth in our markets? The farmers must un-
lcrstand that under no circumstances will
tariffs be reduced, nor will the
price of the so-caled money-savIng harvesting
machinery be lowered. The commissions of
he middlemen will remain at the present fig.
lres Elevator and inspection charges will
'emain firm. No matter how low the price
If wheat, these charges have got to be paid
md again | ask, what will remain for the
american producer?
The yield of wheat per acre in Illinois and
Indiana was very large, and many farmers
here have actually seeded their best corn lands
o wheat. 1t must be that the old farmers Of
illinois have lost the control of their lands,
md new generation of men is working them
The old men have been through the mill, and
experience, dearly bought, had taught them
nat the prosperity OF Illinois lay IN corn cat
lie and hogs, and they had practically aban
IOned wheat raising.
There has been great deal of bosh written
bout our labOrsavlng harvesting machinery,
nd most people think they are monev-saving =
machines also. This Is a mistake With the
lngle exception Of the header (and this tool
annot be used IN damp climate none Of
hem save money. They save labor, but not
money. They enable one man to do the work
f three or four men, but he does II at the price
f four or five mems work. Instead of the Y
money being paid TO the farm laborers Of the
gncultural regions. it Is sent cut of the farm. !
NJ districts into the manufacturing districts y
D pay for machinery and binding wire. An
improved selfbinding harvester costs $500;
n old-fashioned cradle costs 81; and with equal .