Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-07-14
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.

CROPS AND CROP REPORTS Our wheat pro-
ducers realized unusual difficulties, in conse-
Quence of continued rains whilst harvesting
their fields AID since. All put together, there
has not been week of good, sun drying days.
These have been interchanged with cloudy,
damp weather and frequent rains, some of
them. materially retarding the curing process.
There is, of course. great desire to house and
stack the crop. which commenced last Friday
The apprehension is that much will be gather
ed in damp condition; If SO, loss will ensue.
Taking care OF the shocksi the fields under
such MISUNDERSTANDING and penetrating
rains-is a severe ordeal to pass through, but
that labor and care. even with slight loss,
had better he endured than to house in a damp
condition.
In connection with this matter, it is proper
to invite the attention of our farmers to the
proceedings at the Richmond Grain Exchange
on the 9Th inst.
WHEREAS, the continued rain, which, from
the best information before US. extends over
the greater portion of the State, is calculated
to do serious injury to the wheat crop and
cause the same to be shipped to market in
damp Dan ana damaged condIion thus causing
ed in handling the crop; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Richmond Grain and Cotton
not to thresh until their wheat has had ample
time after the rain is oyer to become thorough
ly dry in the shock or stack. and thus ensure
its being sent to market in dry condition,
when it will bring better price. be more
quickly handled, and give better satisfaction
to all Interested In it's sale or manufacture. It
being q well ascertained fact that wheat will
dry in the shock more thoroughly in three to
five days of good weather. than in as many
weeks after it has been threshed, we feel that
1t is greatly to the interest of farmers that it
should not be threshed while damp, and the
more especially SO since drying in bulk Is at
tended with much expense, labor, and incon-
venience. While there are many who claim
that wheat when threshed damp can never be
restored to its original quality by the effort to
dry. but that each recurrence of long contin-
ued wet weather will bring back upon it the
evidence of dampness and its unsound or DAM
from ten to twenty five cents per busheI less
than dry wheat, and there are often times.
when from want of space in which to dry 1t,
millers decline to buy at any price.
"All papers throughout the State are re-
quested to copy the above resolutions"
The Richmond Dispatch of the 18th inst. has
reports from all sections of the State, and from
numerous correspondents. both by letters and
special kilograms. In some counties the grain
crops are in a very bad condition. The many
rains and storms and floods have been very
destructive to wheat, grass, and oats, and to
the growing corn and tobacco. Low grounds
have been washed out and up-lands are in
weeds because the ground has been continu-
ousy too wet to work the crops Whilst the
ence. commencing on the 9TH and closing about
the 10Th inst there are some exceptions. Ad-
joining counties are reported somewhat differ
emily. showing that whilst the rains have pre-
vailed nearly everywhere, storms and wind
have not. AS an example. Wythe county re-
ports large wheat-crop and but little dam
age In the adjoining county OF Symth the
wheat is poor and below an average crop and
moulding in the shocks.
Along the Appomattox river valley, there
was very large crop of wheat harvested, but
the loss since is estimated in some localities as
high as so per cent.
The streams since harvest have been out of
their banks. sweeping the low-grounds of their
wheat-shocks and cutting off all hope for corn
and tobacco, in several localities. In some
sections. particularly Halifax, there has been
much destruction in washing away mill-dams.
which will cause hardships to the people until
they can be restored.
Sfannfnn NEorlxofS