New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-25
coRN THE1T1ND COTTON.

grain for food. Farms are burned up and
stock must starve or be killed. These gloomy
views are pressed upon public attention by the
undeniable fact that the country has sustained
great loss in consequence OF the unprecedented
drouth. But the estimates commonly MADE
rs TO the extent of that loss are wildly eXtraY-
agant, and they nearly all overlook the partial
compensation which comes from ability to sell
at higher prices whatever surplus OF products
the country has.
In the light of the census report, the est
mates of the Agricultural Bureau as to the
crop of 1880 have now been revised. 1t is
thus officially admitted that the wheat crop OF
1850 WAS as much as 49S, 549, SOS bushels,
and the corn crop 1,717,434, 54S bushels The
consumption Of wheat for three crop years end
ing with that of 1879 was 272, 255, 764 bushels
yearly; allowing for known increase OF acre
age and estimated increase OF population, we
may fairly suppose that the consumption from
the crop of 1880 was 2S0, 00O,0 600 bushels. The
exports of wheat Of domestic production, as
officially reported by the Treasury Department
were 177,495,017 bushels from August j.
1850, to July 81, 1881, inclusive. Thus
457. 800. 900 bushels OF the crop of 1850 are
accounted for, but there remain 4l,25O,OOV
bushels TO be carried over to this year. ana
this statement corresponds closely with the
best estimates of the quantity OF old wheat IN
the country in July. The latest estimates OF
the Agricultural Bureau for ISL Indicated
that the. average condition OF spring
wheat was 81 in August against 81 III
August of last year, aud OF winter
wheat 81 in July against % last year No APP
plication of these estimates to the actual yield
of 49S. 500. 900 bushels in 1850 can bring the
Weld for 1881 below IC0,000,000 bushels.
With the old wheat, We have mt least
All, 100000 bushels, according to these OIL
cial estimates, which is about l5lOOo,OOO
bushels in excess of the probable consump-
ton.
The revised estimate as to corn is supple
nented by the information that the increase
of acreage has been . per cent. But the con-
dition October ! is 2G per cent below that OF
1850. Hence it is estimated that the yield IN
1881 will he about LIST. S0j,000 bushels.
This is a very short crop, in these days,
though the country had never raised one rs
large until 1875. 1t is not improbable
that the heavy rains Mt the West, which are
officially reported 10 have added one-twelfth
to the condition and probable yield, may have
proved still more effective. To estimate the
consumption of corn is practically impossi-
bic. With moderate prices, an average Of
1880, 100000 bushels yearly was retained in
the country during the four years ending with
1879. But there was exported last year, ont
of 1,717O0O0 900 bushels. only 91,00S,17G
bushels Of corn, and, including meal %, Gis, IA
bushels, so that rs much as j0,000,000
bushels would remain TO be accounted for,
either by increased consumption because no
market could be found for it, or by retention
until this year. IL does not seem pIsbablc
that starvation viii visit the country on ac-
count of a lack of wheat or corn.
The Agricultural Bureau has just issued its
estimate of the cotton crop of 1881. This
estimate, carefully revised by The Financial
Chronicle the best authority in this country
on the subject, points To yield Of 5,998,00O
bales, but The Chronicle distinctly states that
the estimate Is "not an expression of its own
opinion as tothe extent Of the crop" and plainly
implies that the report is looked upon with
incredulity by the tIade, as indicating
too small yield. The price shows that this
is the prevailing opinion, for middlng up
lands, since the report was made. las not
changed in price, and sells at 11l2 cents per
pound, against IL 3-16 cents October %,
1880. Yet a crop of 100000 bales, should
the yield prove to be no larger, would exceed
any crop ever grown until 1880.
The producers are getting higher prices for
wheat, corn and cotton than they did last year
Wheat goes into Chicago in vast quantities,
and commands there 81 $40 for the same grade
which sold year ago at 99li cents. A crop
of 400, 100000 bushels at only 81 20 in Chi
cago will yield to the producer more than
500,000,000 bushels yielded at last years
price. Com sells at 6O3i cents which
sold one year ago at 80 cents. At
present prices only 1,157,OOO,OOO bushels
would yield to the producers $33 $50, 600 more
than they could have realized on !, 7I7, 900, 600
bushels at last years prices The same
principle applies to the foreign exports. But
the fact is, as has been shown, that the coun-
try could not find any market for lis enor-
nous crops last year. TIE producers wore forced
to carry over 100000 bushels of wheat
and perhaps 20O,0OO,OO0 bushels of corn. be-
cause it could not be sold. Now they are get
ting high prices, rot only for what they have
produced this year, but for the great surplus
which remained unstable from the crops of
1850. 1t is no wonder then that the farmers
as class do not feel entirely destitute.
The truth is that the country is not yet on
the road to ruin, because it has sustained heavy
losses in one dry season. It's prosperity rests
On too broad a base. The losses will be felt,
no doubt, but the single fact that 1O,759, 10Y
acres of new land were purchased from the
Government during the last fiscal year, mainly
in the far West and for farming purposes,
proves that the producers have not yet con-
Guided that farming is bad business.
OBSTR UCTING UNION IN BROOKLYN
uLo In nronIrI,yn m A. -.