Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-11
VALUES OF CROPS.
Comparative Figures Of Inter-
est to the Granger.
FARM PRICES OF SOIL PRODUCTS.

A Healthy Advance Over Those for Sew
oral Years Past--Latsss Plan for Ma
rine subsidies-The Senators Hold .
Csucus-Uncle Sam swindled on Mall
Contract Ciaims-TayIor's Idea for the
Tariff ON Tin Plate-General Capital
City News.
WASHINGTON CRY, Dec. 1.-THE sta
tistical returns of the department of agri-
culture for December give the average
farm prices for agricultural products by
counties, whish are consolidated in this
Office TO obtain accurate averages for the
several states. State agents obtain SINH
lar estimates. revise and consolidate. and
forward state averages. Tho department
estimates. as published, are made from
these duplicate and independent sources OF
information, which are in remarkable
agreement. and may be relied upon as the
true measure of value OF crops in the
hands Of the farmers. The present corn
crop is worth more than the last. and
farmers will receive more for it. Unfor-
tunately districts of failure do not realize
their portion of the advance in average
value
The Law OF Demand Controls.
The average price. by present returns, is
90 cents per bushel, against 2s.3 cents for
the crop OF 1889. an increase Of a per cent.
II is the highest December price OF the de-
cade, except that OF 1881, the only year in
which the final average OF condition was
worse than that OF the present season. The
average price then rose to $50 ceuts, and
that OF the following year was 4s.4. with q
better crop than the present. The next
highest average is 4i.4 in 1887, following
three years of large crops and cheap corn.
The prices therefore depend upon the
quantity grown in the year plus the reserve
from preceding years. The present aver
age shows that small crops are a sure cure
for low prices, and that the law Of demand
is still the main factor in making prices
and profits. The prices in the seven corn
surplus states are: Ohio, 81 cents; Indi-
ana, a.; Illinois. 4S; Iowa, al; Missouri, a;
Kansas. 81; Nebraska. ~.
Estimates OF Wheat Values.
The average farm value of the wheat
crop, rs estimated, Is 81 cents per bushel,
against GO for 1881, an increase of - per
cent ON the price OF last year. The value
OF wheat is affected by the harvests Of
other Countries, as corn Is not percepti-
bly,, and therefore prices are not entirely
governed by the size OF the home grown
crop. For example, the crop of 1885, though
smaller than the present one, brought but
q cents in December, while the crop of
1883, aggregating over 500, 000, OO0 bushels.
the second largest ever grown, sold at s.
cents at the same date.
Oats Prices Affected by Corn
The price of oats has responded sharply
to the pressure of small crop and in
creased demand because OF short corn
crop. The average is 42.2 cents, against %
cents last year. 1t is the highest reported
since 1881. An examination of records
shows that abundance or scarcity of corn
materially affects the value of this crop.
the two grains being largely Interchange
able in use. Rye, like oats, at 62s cents.
Is higher than since 1881, and the same is
true OF barley at CAS- Buckwheat at s.. Z
marks an advance over last year but is
lower than in 1855
A Big Boom In Potatoes.
The deficiency in the potato crop has
caused an advance in values in all sections
of the country. The average is ~ cents,
an increase OF more than ~ per cent over
the prices OF the past two years. The re-
turns show slightly higher prices for to-
bacco than has prevailed since 1887. The
average Is reported at ~ cents per pound.
Hay, alone. OF all farm products, records a
decline from last year The present price
Is 81. IA per ton. and the slight falling of
sdue TO the increased product.