Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-08
and the cost of transportation and selling
xvoc On oants Nor buShal

and the cost of transportation and selling
was 20 cents per bushel.
'sIn 1887 wheat brought in Richmond rs
to 80 cents per bushel and the cost of tran
sportation and selling was about 10 cents
per bushel. The reduction in price was
about rs cents per bushel, reduction in
charges was 10 cents Surprising the west
ern farm wheat brought in New York S1.50
per bushel in 1873 his reduction in price is
the same, to wit: rs cents per bushel, but
his reduction in charge is 81 cents. While
our home price, received by US at the depot
is IS cents less than in 1878. Our country
not being so we'll adapted to the use of che
improved machines, the cost of production
has not been lowered to us anything like as
much as those who cultivate on the stone
less prairies of the West.
''Supposing that the growing of wheat
was as profitable to the Virginia farmer in
1878 as to the western settler, how do we
stand in the race now? Our home price
has been reduced IS cents per bushel; his
only 80 cents, and the cost of production
to him lessened more than to us. If our
wheat brought us a profit of 10 cents per
bushel last year, his brought a profit of
over 81 cents; if our wheat cost us 10 cts.
per bushel more than we got for it, his
still made him profit of over II cents per
bushel And the settler on the limitless
wheat plains of the West and Northwest
can go on raising wheat in quantities suf
fcient to supply the worlds demand for
the lifetime of this generation of farmers.
and grow rich at it, at prices which will
bankrupt the Virginia farmer IN few
years, if he does not wisely retire from the
competition. And this state of things Mr..
Atkinson shows is likely to continue with
l, NE oh
es on the wheat from the far west in the
near future from Improvements IN the
economy of railroad transportation result
ing from devices to save fuel on the en-
gines, and the building of cars to carry 30
tons with little more dead weight about
them than those now used to carry Is tons.
''What then is to be the future of wheat
production with us? Recognizing the fact
that the immense plains of Dakota and
Manitoba can under the present condi-
tions of demand, production, and transpor-
tation, supply with wheat the markets of
the world at prices which will leave pro-
fit to the producer there, but which will
bankrupt the producer here, we must aban-
don wheat as an objective or profitable
crop in our system of farming and regard
it as merely incidental crop, for prepar-
ing the soil and paying portion of the
cost of seeding a field in grass after it has
been run down or has been overgrown with
broom straw; and we should look to grass
as the real money or profit crop.
'This being the case, and bearing il
+ mind that is is far more profitable to get 30
tons of hay from 20 acres than it it is to get
40 tons from so acres, we should concen-
trate the fertilizer and grass seed on small
area until we have applied to each, that
quantity which will produce maximum
grass cop for the soil, remembering that
the increase of wheat from the heavy ap-
plication of fertilizer will go far towards
paying the cost. More hay on less area;
ensilage, and smaller and better wheat
fields with larger pastures will enable our
farmers to tide over the period in which we
are searching out new and more profitable
crops for our section or finding the means
for successfully fighting and overcoming
the diseases and insects, that render I'M
profitable those new products which many
of us have already attempted,
-ssffI II. N NJ. MAaRUDER.
"Easttama. "a, April 21st."