Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-08-26
MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL.

Although our section of country, as a wheat
producing region. exercises but little influence
in the scales of demand and supply, yet every
bushel of surplus-and, in the aggregate. that
surplus is an important element in all our bus
mess interests hereabouts-is affected by the
larger markets. We take the following from
the Prairie Farmer, stating the condition of the
wheat iut erests of the country at this particu-
lar juncture. We know many Augusta farm
ers who still have their crops of 1884 on hand
They have been close readers and careful OBJ
servers OF all that has been published on the
subject of v heat. and determined. to hold on
through the season of low prices, and the f1uct-
uations which ruled in relation to this chief in
terest. The Fd'1ntr is regarded as good author
ity, and the views of the veteran editor are en-
titled to the highest consideration. We see in
the article copied much to strengthen the
views given out through the SPECTATOR con-
tinuously in favor of pushing wheat. culture.
not alone for its value as a crop, but for those
fine results which follow in the rapid improve
ment of our lands:-
"GRAIN PR1CEs-DoN'T BE ScARED!-At this
writing. on the afternoon of August IL, wheat
is selling about cents bushel lower than a
shrinkage in the value of the AZ million BUSH
els in sight Before the ink dries, the print
ers' ink, 1t may be up anywhere from one to
At this moment the bears seem to have got the
bulls on the run, and are having things their
own Wey. Perhaps tomorrow the bulls may
turn around and use their horns. the bears
have the advantage just now. and are more
likely to have for two or three months, more
or less, Why? There are III the Chicago eleva-
tors over Az million bushels OF wheat, and
over 40 milton bushels of visible wheat, that
is out of producers hands and seeking mar
ket at the various points east of the Rocky
mountains, including Canada-a larger
amount If our memory serves rightly, than
ever before at this date. And new wheat is
lust ready to flow in Unlike corn, this grain
does not have to dry and cure two or three
months after cutting. but can go to the eleva.
ity of the growers in the great wheat regions
have no home barns or granaries in which to
store their wheat. 1t is threshed from the
shocks in the field, run from the thresher and
separator into bags borrowed from buyers and
has to go to market, let the price be what 1t
may. Under these circumstances, there must
needs be, for a time, an increase in the stock
in sight,; and SO long as there are more sellers
than buyers prices will necessarily sag. But
would only last the country some two months
If not bushel were sent abroad, as some will
be any way. At AZ bushels per person, 81 MILL
ion people consume 1861 million bushels, (256-
500 600 bu.). year, at which rate the ~ million
bushels In market would last only IS days.
There is no question now that there Is a
large decrease in the actual winter and spring
wheat grown this year, as compared with last
certainly a hundred million bushels less. We
have on the market some Is million BUSH
els more than last year at this date; but there
are at least 100 million bushels less to come in
from the producers during the year. 1t would
certainly seem that later on, next winter and