New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-13
THE HdKM TO WHEAT.

The report of the Department OF Agriculture
rs to wheat, made public on Saturday, entirely
confirms the conclusions drawn i'll these columns
Oh Friday from consideration OF the area
affected by the drouth in the Northwest, namely,
that the yield of winter wheat would probably
hc about 295,O0O,0 900 bushels, and that " 1t
seems question whether the spring wheat
Weld will fall to 100,00O0OO bushels, instead
of 10000, 900 bushels loIcshad0wcd by the
report of June | ." No such decline had been
caused by events prior to July l, the date cf
the report just made public, and the Bureau
estimates the decline in winter wheat, fom the
previous estimate of 3OO0O00O0 bushels at
l - per cent, leaving IA crop OF 29o,1oo,ooo
bushels. while the decline in spling wheat is
estimated at 3 per cent, leaving probable
Weld Of 127, 5O00 900 bushels. Thus the out
look, July l, according to the Department 5
report justified expectation OF crop of
423,OOO,OOO bushels in all, and the question
now is how much additional damage was done
by tie intoelably hot weather and drouth
during the first week Of July AS was re-
marked on Friday, while the injury seems to
have been severe, it was apparently confined
TO part Of the territory which should yield
about halt the spling wheat crop, and there
is no yet to suppose that the loss
will prove It's much az 5OO00,000 bushels
But until the crop has been harvested. the
farmers of Northern Iowa, Southern Wisconsin
and Minnesota and Southern Dakota will watch
the weather with unusual interest
The question is also of some inIpoi lance to
the railroads which penetrate ihat belt, the St.
Paul and the Chicago and Northwestern
Roughly speaking, the people of that II gion re-
quie Tor food and seed about 2O,OOO,OOO
hushel, OF wheat, and with crop OF 50,OOO,0OO
bushels, they can send away 3O,OOO,OOO. But
if they have lost over hall of the whole, they
will have little or none TO move y iail. loss
of 60 per cent of the yield to the farmers
would mean to the rail oads OF that section IL
los, of all their wheat traffic, and Il difference OF
$4,000 900 bushels, at 3 cents bushcl, Is
no ,anall item. In Kansas, also, the winter
wheat clOp is short, as has been known, but
elsewhere the prospect for Il full movement ap-
pears favorable.
For consumers the question is still just where
it was-whcthcr a market can be found Tor as
much as 400, 900 900 bushels Of new wheat
and for surplus OF Is 100000 bushel, carried
over from last year. Unless consumers and
occasion to look for starvation prices this year
A greater demand from abroad than Is yet
loreshadowed is needed to clear away the sur
plus, even if the yield should fail Us low rs
100000 900 bushels.
1t may be noticed that the reports from India
have changed curiousy OF late. Two months
AGO it was said that the decrease In wheat
acreage in India was 100000, which would
mean large decline in the yield. But the latest
returns indicate that the decrease III all India
is not more than 100000 acres In Tie Pun
iaub the probable decrease Of yield, Judging
from the acreage and the latest report, Is not
more than $4,000 bushels i'll the Northwest
Provinces and Oudh, the Bombay Presidency,
the Genital Provinces and Belar, the yield
officially reported is 100000 bushels less
than Last year. and the remaining provinces
produced about 40,O0O000 bushels, and Will
be apt to turn out nearly us much, 80 that there
doe, not seem to be reason to expect 1t DECREASE
of more than j., 200 900 bushels, OF . per cent,
in the aggregate yield. The latest advlces from
England ale not favorable for the growers OF
ilmt county, but the plice at country markets
has not yet so changed us to indicate belief
in any snatciid doclca>e i'll the output