River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-10-05
The Price Of Wheat.

harvested this year to New York as
fast as possible, and that those who sell
their wheat the most ex peditiously will
get the best prices, because there is SO
much wheat in the country that the
latest to market will have to take the
price offered for stock largely in ex-
cess of any want. The New York Jour
7saIof Commerce, a very respectable COM
nercial paper, but desperately aft icted
with the idea that this country and all
its people we're created for New York,
and that without New York all would
perish and fade, presents the case as
/ follows, assuming as facts the matters
| stated:
The wheat crop of the United States
this year will be 600,000,000 bushels,
against 3S0,000000 bushels in 1881,
and 480,000,000 in 1880. The home
consum ption, even at low prices, cam
not exceed 290,000,000 bushels, and
| last year was not over 250000,000.
Taking the highest figure for consump-
tionl there must be surplus of 310,-
000,000 bushels. Our exports count
ing flour as wheat, were $50 100000
bushels in 1880, 1856 100000 bushels in
1881, and for the year ending June 80,
1882, our exports was 122 600 900 only.
| The same paper further clinches the
argument in favor of hurrying to mar
kct with the wheat before prices d.
minish to the minimum by assuming
as facts that in the three years men
| toned the harvests in Europe were
deficient, that last year our own crop
was little short, that this year
all the countries to which we send
grain have good crops of their own,
that Great Britain will have occa-
sion to buy from all sources only 107,-
| 100000 bushels, while France will not
have to to buy any. Upon these
premises it is further assumed that, in
addition to an unknown quantity held
over from last year, there will be sur
plus of over 310,000,000 bushels of this
years wheat to sell, with all our best
foreign customers already supplied,
or at least requiring very little from
this country. In view of the poverty
stricken condition of the country, as
pictured by the New York Journal of
Commerce, with $4,000 900 bushels of
wheat more than we can eat, or make
into whiskey and drink, and for which
there is no market in which we can
sell it, what shall the farmers of the
west do?
The New York paper proposes that
they send it down to New York and
sell it qulck-before the prices fall;
that they hurry it forward by sail, by
steam, by railroad, and canal, so that
it can get there to be sold before the
rush shall so fill the market that it can
be sold for som ething and not refused
as not worth store-room !
There are few of the SO called facts
cited which require some modification.
The national bureau OF agriculture on
the LIST OF September did not estimate
the yield of wheat this year at 600,000,-
600; its estimate was $50 900 600 hush
els of winter wheat and 40 00O 600 of
spring, making a total of $40 ,000, 900
/ bushels. At the time of this estimate,
it was merely an estimate-the
wheat had not been counted as it
counts after passing through the thresh-
er. Another fact il, that quite q
large proportion of the winter wheat
has been bought by millers, whose
stock of old wheat had been exhausted,
and the spring wheat put on the mark
ct tends towards the mills of the inte-
rior points because OF the scantiness
of The old stock on hand. These facts
seem to show, what has been generally
understood, the comparatively small
stock of last years wheat on hand.
Never, perhaps, have the bins been so
closely swept as they were this spring.
| When the official returns of the wheat
| crop have been made it is likely that
the estimates published will require to
be corrected in the matter Of exagger-
ations.
Our exports of wheat last year were
| smaller in the matter of bushels than
in previous years, but that was due to
the scarcity of wheat here and the con-
sequent high prices. Despite the high
price we sold all we had TO sell, and
left our stock in hand far below that
on hand in any previous year. This
average stock, which may be said to be
permanently held over in this country,
will have to be recruited or replaced
| from the present years crop.
The GOODNESS with which the supply
of wheat needed for home cansump-
ton is reduced in this New York esti-
mate many millions below the amount
needed heretofore, and when prices
were higher than ordinary, is surpris-
ing. The annual supply of breadstuffs
needed to supply our own population
is always increasing, not only because
our population is rapidly increasing
and furnishing more consumers, but
because in view of the good times an.
general prosperity, the consumption
per capita is becoming greater year
after year.
There is no hurry on the part OF the
wheat growers to convert their crop
into cash. The west has all the money
needed to hold the entire wheat crop
until it is applied for by those who are
willing to pay fair price for it, 1t is
considered as good an investment as is
afforded by any other commodity at
this tine. Bread is an essential of life,
and there is of necessity market for
bread always willing to take it; any
surplus this year viii pay the
cost of holding it until the customer
VINO needs it shall apply. The wheat
in 1882 will not be a drug IN the mar
ket. There is no need of sacrificing 1t
New York to be sold for what it will
bring. 1t must eventually be sent for,
and at sellers prices, and until 1t IS
wanted there is no occasion to sacrlhce
it for anything less than it is worth OF
will bring.
Sarah Bernhardt did something al
Blackpool, England, that was probably
not intended to secure incidental adver.
- E. - l.. YxNi