New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-18
GOOD UFATHER AND BAD.

II is so common a thing ~ complain OF the
weather that such complaints are rarely worth
serious attention. 1t seems TO be IN the nature
Of man 10 believe that his own misfortunes
have no parallel, and are misfortunes Of the
whole human race But this year the weather
in the Atlantic States has been phenomenal.
There is no record Of any previous July for
many years that was as wet and stormy as that
month in 1889 has been, and August thus far
has not been much better. An immense guam
tity Of hay has been spoiled. Many million
bushels Of potatoes have rotted. and fruit and
many other agricultural products have been
cut short by unreasonable weather. Not only
the farmers, but the consumers in Eastern
States are naturally inclined to take lugubr-
Gus view Of the situation.
ct il happens in this case, as in so many
others, that what is poison for some is meat
for many. The excessive precipitation i'll the
Atlantic States has been accompanied by eX-
tremey favorable weather in most sections Of
the country Even where there has been
great loss, away from the seacoast. in the
spring wheat regions where drouth has cost
the farmers the value of many million bushels
of wheat, the trouble has been only lack Of
had more than enough. The distribution has
been little defective as to these sections, and
that modelate variation from the normal sup
ply which has destroyed property Of great
value at the East by excess Of rain, has at
the same time destroyed perhaps as much at
the West by lack Of the moisture here too
layishly OutpOured.
But on the whole the farmers and the con-
SumerS Of this country have little cause for
complaint this year. In the aggregate, the
agricultural yield is certain to be beyond the
average in quantity and value. 1t is true that
two or three larger wheat crops have been
raised and perhaps one larger corn crop and
one larger cotton crop. The crop Of oats is
undoubtedly the largest ever grown, and, TAX
ing the whole country together, probably the
yield Of grass in various forms has not been
surpassed in any other year. Then it should
not be forgotten that the plentiful years for
wheat or for cotton and corn have not been
the same, nor have they conceded with the
years Of greatest fertility il other respects
On the whole, it may be doubted whether the
cultivatOIS Of the soil in this country have in
any previous year obtained larger return
for their labor than in the year 1889 in spite
Of not inconSderable disasters and losses in
some sections. Great Britain has been SIM
ilarly favored and similarly tried, and "The
London Economist in late issue remarked:
1t may be doubted whether the Oldest farmer
in the county can remember a year of greater
agricultural productiveness in the agglegae.'
substantially the same verdict will have to be
rendered, according to present information,
respecting the results of the years labor in
this country.
While the country proSperS. some lose
heavily. But that loss is in part compensated
by the general prosperity. Because the mill
ions are doing well, there is likely to be a
large demand and at fair prices for most of
the products which the farmers have to sell.
and even where the weather has been most
unfavorable il has not affected all crops alike.