The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-04-15
The Wheat Trade.


The Commissioner of Agriculture for
the State of Virginia-Hon. Randolph
Harrison-in his report of the crop condi-
tion for the month of March, has the fol-
lowing statement
1.-The outlook for prices is not very
promising, although there is a fair pros
pect, / think that wheat, if not other
grain. will be higher by the time of next
harvest There is in "Bradstreets' F" of
January 30th, present year, an estimate of
stocks of wheat remaining in principal
importing countries, the amount that will
be required by said countries, and the
amount available for export in principal
exporting countries. especially the United
States. The calculation is that by July
LIST there will remain ''in the United
States but 100000 bushels, visible and
invisible, If we have but 100000
bushels to carry over on July LIST next,
including the then visible supply, it will
mean famine reserves only.
1.-The Mark Lane Express, commenting
on this. says that the estimate of stock
remaining in the United Kingdom &c.,
600. 900 bushels) is much too high: Ii SO,
there will be a diminution OF the stock
remaining in the United States as estima-
ted for July LIST next.
United States will not, this year, have as
strong competition in supplying the
European demand as usual. Russia, which
was once our most formidable competitor
i'm the wheat market. will probably export
very little grain in 1856, if the st. James
Gazette, quoted by the Marx Lane Express,
has reliable information" VERY grave
news has reached it from from Russia
1t is said that famine threatens whole
provinces: that in extensive districts the
able-bodied male population have migrated
en- 4nasse to the great towns in search OF
EMPLOYMENT. < This is directly the
result of last years bad harvest. What
pity it is that, with such a scarcity at
home. Russia sent such large quantities
of wheat to this country, where 1t was like
GOALS sent to Newcastle. If it had not
been for this Russian supply there would
have been a chance OF wheat rising TO an
approximately remuneIStlve price before
this time. 1t is to be borne in mind that
although the wheat crop Of all Russia was
under average, it was only III parts OF the
southern portion of the country that 1t
was very bad indeed, as a rule: as re-
spects the wheat supply, Russia is pre-
eminently the dark country. We know
more about the produce in remote Hlndo-
stan than about that Of the comparatively
near Russian empire.
1.-The caution beginning With lne Noid5
t.it must be borne in mind is OF general
application when crop statistics extending
over a large area are published. AL the
sshorses are more or less dark. Neverthe-
less there is reason to believe that the
stocks of wheat on hand a year ago have
been considerably reduced, while the Ok
ports from Russia, as just said, will prob,
ably be smaller than usual The crop OF
Australia, also, is poor one. The Aas-
tralasian of December Goth, last, says
READERS of this journal have been pre-
pared to hear of a total result lin the
wheat crop) not only less satisfactory than
was expected few weeks ago, but con-
siderably lower than last year. There will
therefore be q much smaller surplus than
usual. y
ssIn 1884 there was exported to Great
Britain about 5000 .0eG bushels from Aus
tralia, against las estimatedl 3,o77. 800
bushels of surplus for expectation this
year. In India the crop is represented as
fairly promising and in most of the
States Of this Union the wheat has come
cut well SO far.
son the whole there seems no good
ground upon which to base an expectation
of very high prices only moderate i'm
provement may be looked for.''