The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-11
Gloomy Wheat Crop Prospects.

The growing wheat crop having reach.
ed d .critical stage, and winter wheat
having approached a condition sufficient.
ly near maturity TO approximate the
acreage and probable yield, the Fa,m,ers'
Reuieto, of Chicago, has followed up ito
usual weekly summary by COM p!e.s
survey of all the Western and Southern
wheat growing States, reports having
been received from over three thousand
correspondents, covering every wheat
producing county in Ohio, Michigan, In.
diana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wis.
consin, Minnesota and Dakota. TO.
gethef with q very accurate and recent
summary from the Pacific coast region,
nade by the associated press, it Is be.
lieved it makes one OF the most complete
reports ever prepared. The Revie,g says:
"The gloomiest views which have been
advanced concerning the winter wheat
outlook for 1885 must now be accepted
as the most accurate. The promising
conditions Of 1884 have this season been
completely reversed. The absolute uni.
formity of the returns indicate that the
outlook for the winter sown wheat this
year is the worst in ten years, and it may
be set down as positive that under the
most fa7oriDg conditions the total winter
and spring wheat yield is to fall consid-
erably under the short crop Of 1881,
when the total product was 3g0, ,000, 600
bushels. With the exception of Michi.
gan, Oregon and Washington Territory,
on the far Western slope, the causes
leading to decreased output of winter
wheat are almost identical. IN Ohio,
Indiana, Kansas, Illinois and Missouri
the ground was bare of snow during the
winter. The severely cold weather at
the close of the winter, which was fol.
lowed by dry, cold winds later on. There
was also decreased acreage, owing to
the low prices which prevailed for the
crop of 1884. In California the decreas-
cd acreage was accompanied by severe
drouth, which has tended to almost ruin
the growing crop. Oregon and Wash
ington Territory were saved by bountiful
showers, which came In time to save tho
grain. From close compilation, and
taking the most cheerful view of the ait.
uation, the winter wheat yield for the
present year will not exceed 200,O00OOO
bushels, and the absolute percentages
from the most trustworthy sources indi.
cate that the yield will fall somewhat
under than over the figures given. Turn.
ing to the spring wheat belt, the outlook
is altogether more promising. Full re.
turns from Nebraska show slightly en-.
larged acreage, as compared to last year,
while In Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota
the decrease in acreage will be about 10
per cent, while the condition is about 95
per cent. The acreage of Dakota ia
about 8 per cent. less than last year, and
the conditions fully equal, though the
season is from ten to twelve days later.
The probable spring wheat yield, based
upon continuing favorable weather, will
be $50, 100000 bushels. The total wheat
crop of the country, therefore, from the
present outlook will be from 32O,000,0 600
to $50 ,000, 900 bushels, against an aver.
age yield for the past five years of 464,-
0000 900 bushels.