Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-02-20
A Bad Outlook for Wheat j


). W. Talmadge, of Milwaukee, WIS, has
late and important information troui many
of the principal Winter wheat growing
States. Complaint seems to be general thai
owing to the unreasonable fail and winter
the condition of winter wheat is most I'M
favorable and the promise at this time
lor even fair outcome is not very Halter
ing. Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri
and Kentucky report u large decrease in
acreage, and owing to the severity of the
winter the damage has been very great
The weather has been unusually cold, and
many OF the principle wheat counties have
been bare of snow up to within short time,
and the wheat is wholly frozen out. This
Will make necessary the blowing up of the
ground in the spring and the sowing or
planting of other CEREALS. The damage in
these States is estimated at from 10 to 25 per
cent, Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky be-
ing the principal sufferers. The Southern
States, especially in the Southest, complain
OF extended dry weather in the fall which
resulted in severe damai to the early sown
wheat and preventfz p sowing q late
is reduced to nes inc. half that OF last
year, Mr.. TamadgH has official advices
from all the Agricultural Department or
statistical agents of the principal Winter
wheat raising States, giving the area sown
to wheat, as compared with last year. The
figures show Jorge decrease, ranging from
III to 36 per cent? Many of the large pro-
dnclng States, including Kansas, Illinois,
Missouri and Indiana, show " ecrease.
Mr. Talmadge has wade \of the
shortage in acrea u e Nj last
year, and it sho, \tully
~ per cent. D5p M
ments and stat Spring
wheat States s. report
that there 1bro5dolJ falling
off in the area sown TO wheat coming
spring. This condition applies espe-
cially to Iowa, Minnesota and N l,(lA The
farmers in these sections say thtSstaeN rails
ing OF wheat has not been profit iofthe
past two years, and they will Civ more at
tention to raising flax and other products,
which they think will result in more profit
to them
wu ID anowIse.
The very low prices obtainable for wheat,
says the New York Herald, have naturally
somewhat disheartened the growers, and
they are mootpg the question whether they
can afford to raEe wheat or will not gain by
devotng their lands to other crops, and the
Pennsylvania school OF byActionists is
helping them agtax this qud bn and open
ly breaches thatltS>ge oessive pro-
duction of wheat, adv Ee farmers to
produce something esd
This is bad advice. c4hcyearl$crop will
not supply two years consumption, so that
the country may be said to be al ways within
easy distance of starvation. Fortunately
the distribution Of wheat is so general that
total failure of the crop can hardly occur,
lint mona lh.4 laaa f.n N IA profu0tiOn ha oar.
iously essened by natural causes. The de-
mand is continually increasing, and II the
supply is now excessive this Is temporary
condition. To deliberately curtail the cul-
tivaton Of wheat would, If carried TO even
moderate extent, only invite disaster,
strange as this may appear in country
where agriculture is so fruitful.
Not only is the demand continually in
creasing in this country, but Europe will
want each year larger supply for her pop
ulation. As it is, England, France, Ger
many and Spain cannot under natural con-
ditions grow wheat in competition with US,
and while some Of these nations are seeking
TO equalize conditions by tariff duties the
English journals are full Of discussion on
the question, "Can we grow wheatP" Duties
can only afford temporary relief; they
will not increase the fertility of the SOIL
France now leves duties on wheat so high
that she is only surpassed by Turkey, Por.
tugal and Spain Prince Bismarck proposes
an increased duty in order to make farming
more profitable, and 50 check the tide OF
emigration which he breads so much These
expedients cannot keep back the inevitable,
and American wheat will have an ever in.
creasing market, and one which natural
conditions, like climate, droughts, &c. may
give TO il absolutely. No, the growing of
wheat should be encouraged, and not dis
couraged