The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-09-04
The Wheat CrOn Short.

Rufus Hatch, in the New York San Of
Monday, advises farmers not to sell theil
wheat for less than dollar bushel at the
stations. He says that for the first time since
1881 the farmer is master of the situation, fol
the reason that the crop of the country is
short. Mr.. Hatch adds:
"The winter wheat is not more than half crop
and the spring wheat reported as damaged one
third. The Government report for July, which
does not include the damage to spring wheat it
having taken place to large extent since the
Pp ned for @ at eotEe
In 1884 the Government report placed the yield
at 3D. 100000, with 40,OOO,00O on hand from the
crop of 1888. Add these amounts together and
we will learn the total amount of wheat that
this country has had during the last two years
From old crop, at the beginning of the
harvest OF 1854 1000, 00C
Total yield of 1885 (deductng nothing
for spring wheat DAMAGE ........ .357, 600, 00C
Total for two years 9O9 OOO OOC
Deduct from this total OF 800, 900 600 the amount
required for home consumption and for seed
namely for two years, and the 132 OOC
exported last year, and we have remaining for
export and for carrying over but 100000.
therefore, five export half as much wheat as
we did last year, shall not have bushel at the
beginning Of the harvest of 1856, and should the
crop of 1886 be no larger than the crop of1S85 we
should be importing wheat within eighteen
Il
In 1888 we imported wheat in 1865 we again i'm
ported wheat, besides bringing it across the
isthmus from California, and it sold at 81 per
bushel in New York. In 1881 on the short crop,
wheat sold at $1.40 in Chicago and SLIGO in New
York. The question now naturally arises as to
whether the foreign demand is likely to be de-
creased or whether it will be large. There
is no country in the world that has full average
crop and many countries fall far below the av-
erage. France and England have greatly reduced
their acreage by turning their wheat fields into
pastures for sheep and CATTLE thereby realizing
better profits than they could from raising wheat
price than in 100 years. England acreage is de-
creased from 15,6CoOOO to 26,OOO,0OO bushels, and
France 3500O,0O0 on acreage alone"
Mr. Hatch also gives extracts from foreign
journals showing that besides the decreased
acreage abroad the wheat product of England,
France and Russia has been cut short by un-
favorable seasons. The rye crop of Russia,
Germany, Austria and Prussia, it is also
stated, is fearfully damaged. English jour-
nails estimate the shortage of breadstuffs of
England, France, Germany and America at
5OO,00O,000 bushels, rye forming the staple
food in Russia and Germany as wheat does
in this country. Mr.. Hatch thereupon ear.
nestly advises the farmer not to part with
his wheat at the prevailing low prices when
there is certain to be scarcity of wheat
within twelve months. He says:
by waiting he will get his own price for it.
Nor should he be disturbed over the fact that the
foreigners cannot see behind our "400OO,OOO in
sight" England has become so accustomed to
buying of us from hand to mouth by cable, and
having the wheat delivered on her shores within
thirty days, that she does not realize that short
age in our crops means no more wheat at these
prices for her. The farmers of the United
Kingdom and France, by holding their wheat
hundred years is a thing of the past. They
can get 45s to Sos for their wheat instead of the
s to 36s that they are now receiving, If they will
have little patience. The amount on passage
is rapidly diminishing, and the home supplies
will soon be sought after at better prices"
Another article in the same paper says
that the present Chicago prices of so cents
for wheat, as cents for oats are not unprece-
dented. 1t shows that the highest and lowest
prices of grain for 81 years are as follows
Highest. Lowest.
Wheat-May 1867 ...S2 IS July. S59.SOh
Corn-Nov.. 1864. 80. 14O Sept, 1861 on
Oats-June, lS6l.... $50 June, 1851 ..... 0 l2I
Farmers are apt to be suspicious concern
ing statements coming from New York, lest
they may be intended solely to influence the
market temporarily, for the benefit of specu-
lators, but Mr.. Hatch's conclusions, if his
premises are correct, appear to be reasonable.
MIR. Hatch concludes as follows:
There cannot be an overproduction of what
man and beast require for food. If the farmer
has more than he can sell profitaby one year, II
ne VIII keep 1t i'll store, another year will create
demand for 1t either by home or foreign short
age"