The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-05-17
OUR GROWING COUNTRY.
Its Industrial, Commercial, Railroad.
and Agricultural Development
FINANCE AND TRADE.
Latest Reports from Leading
Business Centres.

The MAY returns of wheat TO the Depart
ment of Agriculture make condition, compared
with April averages, materially lower IN New
York and Michigan and in Ohio and Illinois.
Further injury was wrought by frost early IN
April, and iH the more Northern districts the
real damage by March freezing was more fully
disclosed as the covering of snow and ice DIS
appeared. The average is a for New York
for Michigan. So; for Ohio, O.; for illinois, 90.
In Indiana the condition averages 75 and New
Jersey reports I0l. both the same as in April.
All the remaining Northern States show an i'm
prsyement since the April report, as well as the
Pacific coast and nearly all of the Southern
States The average condition OF the winter
wheat is So. against so in April 1t should
be understood that in Department reports
Of condition 100 means a medium growth
with a full stand and healthy plant.
The spring wheat area viii not be reported
until June l. The statistical agent for Dakota
makes the probable increase 30 per cent. The
agent for Minnesota reported SO per cent. OF
last years area already planted. It's not prob
able that increase IN spring wheat area VIII
more than make good tie loss OF winter
wheat acreage. The present condition rep
resonts a loss of 100000 bushels as COM
pared with the same period last year A
dispatch from the London statistical agent,
under date of April e, reports an improvement
in European wheat prospects during the last
month. In France and Germany rain Is needed
aud higher temperature necessary. With re-
daccd acreage ia Western Europe and some in
jury from freezing in March, reduced crop
appears TO b. inevitable.
The Western Export Association of the Mis-
sissippi Valley met in Indianapolis, Ind, on
the 9Th inst About fifty distilleries were rep
resented. The object of the conference was TO
determine upon the continuance Of the pool T"
regulating the production of the firms repre-
sented and TO consider the question of an i'm
mediate reduction in production. A resolution
was adopted that all distillers who can do so
shall at once reduce their capacity so far as pos
gible until June /, and that after that date it
shall he obligatory on meiabers of the associa-
tion to reduce the production TO twenty per
cent of their capacity" The distillers are
now running only forty per cent. Of their
capacity, and by the terms of the resolution
viii, all told, run only $4,000 bushels per day
after June L. The action OF the convention
was necessity in the light of the state Of the
whisky business. The whisky now in bond
exceeds by more than million gallons all
future demands in sight, and the distillers are
ali the time producing heavily, caused, as Sec
rotary Stevens explained. by the barns of the
distillerS being full Of cattle to be fed. After
June these cattle viii be thrown ON the mar
ket and reduction of the distiIleries may then
be accomplished. Mr.. Stevens said that during
next year Kentucky alone must take 100000
gallons Of whisky out Of bond, 100000 more
than was ever taken out in ally former year,
and many millions moro than can be conve-
niently exported to Bermuda or other points
and returned 10 bond.
Mr.. Tailmadge of the Milwaukee Chamber of
Commerce has made an estimate on the wheat
crop of 1883, giving the following totals by
States: