The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-04
THE WHEAT MARKET.

In the last census year the wheat crop
Of the United States amounted to nearly
400, 0O0, COO bushels, of which Minnesota and
the DakOtas produced between them 81
100000 bushels. and California 100000
bushels. This year, if no bad weather in
terferes, the whole crop will probably eX-
coed 800. 0O0,O 900 bushels, of which Mime
sofa and the Dakotas are expected to yield
100. 00O,O G0 bushels, and California probably
Sc. 100000. In the States of the north
vest whatever new land is broken is
planted to wheat. In this State, the new
land planted to wheat is about Offset by
the area of land which was formerly
planted to wheat but is now used for fruit
and grape-growing. AS the fruit-growers
perfect their organization for the marketing
of their products, the area devoted to wheat
will naturally diminish year by year; it
will be put to better uses.
Nearly one-third of the wheat crop of
1880 was grown in the three States of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois. Their aggregate
product only fell slightly short of 10000
900 bushels. Since then extensive changes
have taken place. a succession of droughts
have rendered their wheat crops somewhat
lrecarious. Better uses for land have been
discovered. The wheat acreage has been
reduced. High agriculture has been intro
duced in many localities. In some it pays
better TO raise stall-fed cattle than to grow
cereals From these and other causes the
wheat crop of the three States will prob
ably show this year considerable decrease
from that of 1880, They are obeying a
natural law. half century ago the great
wheat growing States were New York.
Pennsylvania and Virginia. They could
not compete with the aIluylal plains
further west, and in 1880 they only pro-
duced IS, coo, GOO bushels about as much as
Minnesota and the Dakotas. the latter be-
ing at the time in the rudimentary stage of
development. 1t is hardly likely that they
i'll do as well this year.
The problem of wheat-raising in this
country has been worked out to its extreme
limits. Given soil which will produce
fifteen bushels on an average to the acre,
what price must that wheat realize on the
farm to give the grower wagesP Competi-
on has done much to reduce the cost of
transportation; but still the carrier will get
d. something over the actual cost of trans
portation or he will go out Of business.
Seed must be paid for, likewise hired help.
How much must wheat sell for at the dis
tributing market to enable the farmer to
living left for himself? These are ques-
tons which involve the consideration of SO
many factors that it is not easy to answer
them off:hand. 1t makes a world of differ
ence to the farmer whether his help costs
him 70 cents and board, as in Virginia and
New England, or 81 % and board, as III
California. 1t costs very much less to grow
and harvest wheat on thOusand-acre field,
which can be handled with steam machinery,
than on foTty-acre lot. 1t is vital matter
whether the soil contains such ingredients
that it will grow No. wheat or only wheat
that will just pass inspection. These are
matters which the farmer has to consider
before ne can say how little he can afford
TO take for his crop.
OF late years, in Minnesota, Iowa and
Kansas, it has been commonly said that if
the farmer cannot net 80 cents bushel for
his wheat-that is to say, a rental of 81 30
per acre for his iand-he had better hire
himself out to work for wages. In most of
the wheat-growing sections of British In
dia, where tue price falls below rupee
(nearly 90 cents a bushel. the natives eat
il at home. There was a time, not so VERT
long ago, when a penny pound was con-
sidcred in England the very lowest price
at which the British farmer could afford to
grow wheat. That rule was exploded when
the Wisconsin farmer was enabled to trans
port to Liverpool the product Of five acres
planted in wheat for less money than 1t cost
the.English farmer TO manure one acre Of
his land England has not increased her
wheat crop of late years; but neither las
she diminished it, though the farmer has
often been obliged to content himself with
less than three farthings pound. There,
as here, people often do that which politi-
cal economists declare they cannot afford to
do. Farmers may console themselves with
the reflection that eras of low prices are al
ways followed by eras of high prices 1t
looks now as ii we were Oh the eve of ON
of the latter in the wheat market