The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-12-23
THE SOUTHERN FARMERS OP
PORTUNITY AND DUTY.

PORTUNITY AND DUTY
By the operation OF natures laws
this year would seem destained to be
the turning point in the financial con
dition of the great mass of the farmers
of the world. For years past the
price of the products of the farm has
been gradually decreasing, and the
decrease has been intensified by the
abundance of the crops raised, not
only here but in all the great cereal
growing countries of the world. The
effect of this decreased value has been
to materially reduce the area planted
to cereals; but this redu ;tion alone
would not have been sufficient to cause
any substantial rise in the value of
crops, had it not been that nature had
come to mans assistance, and by
climatic causes, operating not only
here but almost throughout the world,
caused a material reduction in the
crop yields, sufficient, we believe, to
u a ear approximation to supply
and demand, and to lift from the
market that overwhelming surplus
which whilst it existed surely pre-
vented a rise in value. We are now
in receipt of the returns of the years
crops from the principal producing
countries of the world, and an exami-
nation of them yields some startling
results. Taking this country first, we
find that there will be a potable
decrease of lis, 900, 900 to 12O, OOO,-
600 bushels of wheat below the crop
of 1889; corn will show a decrease of
about 900, 900, 900, aud oats will yield
less by probably 800, 600, 900 bushels
than last year. Adding these three
staples together, we have a gross
deficiency of 1920, 600, 900 bushels of
grain in this country alone. The
returns from England show that she
will need to import quite rs much
wheat as last year, say l44, OOO, 900
bushels. France, also, will need to
import from 40, 600, 900 to SO, 900, 900
bushels. Indeed, the whole of Europe,
taken together, will require to import
about 200, 600, coo bushels. The In
3ian wheat harvest is officially reported
at Is per cent, below the average of
the last five years, with a decrease IN
area of 500, 900 acres and in yield
S55, 900 tons. With such figures as
these before him no one can doubt
mundsnu certainly looksu "~Vhstantial !
but that there must be-
increase in the value Of all the cereals
during the winter, and we are strongly
of opinion that this will be a perma
nent increase, as the shortage will,
from the natural increase in popula
ton and decrease in the area of
available land, be a permanent one
that IS TO say, that even given good
average crops, the surplus having
been swept away by this year OF
diminished production, supply and
demand will continue for some years
to nearly balance each other, and so a
permanent higher level of prices will
be maintained. Now here is the
Southern farmers opportunity, and
he should make haste to seize it. In
this and the adjoinlng Southern States
we have had rather under an average
wheat crop, but we have an abundant
corn crop. Let, then, every farmer
economic in the use of wheat and
corn, and hold them as long as he can
conveniently. Usually corn is extrva-
gantly fed here and other equally
valuable feeds are neglected, or, if
used at all, only to a very small extent.
Bran, cotton. seed, and cotton seed
meal may with great economy De
substituted for a part of the corn
ration for horses, cattle, and hogs.
Bran will no doubt advance in price,
but may yet be bought so as to save
money when compared with corn.
The cotton crop being a large one,
cotton seed and cotton seed meal is
likely to be cheap and ought to be
used freely. In this way corr may
be saved and money be made by its
sale whilst the head of paying stock
on the farm ueed not be reduced.
Market all stock in excess of what can
be well and proitably fed at once,
and do not waite an ounce of corn
upon them.-SoWthern Planter.
1900 -~-~~