The morning call., 1890-05-04
THE RISE IN WHEAT.

They are beginning to make up their
minds in Chicago that the wheat crop of
1890 Is going to be short. The market is
jumping, though there is no corner and no
large short interest. Reports from the
. 500 country complain of continued
cold, dry weather, and say that the wheat
plant is suffering accordingly. These sto-
rles are always set on foot in the spring
months, and sometimes they prove to be
based on fact.
1t would not be surprising If the crop this
year should show falling off as compared
with That OF 1889, that was the second larg-
est, II not tie largest, ever harvested, the
only crop which compared with it being
that OF 1884, when the Department OF Agri-
culture reported a harvest of 49, 763, 600
bushels. In 1888 only Ais. SGS, 600 bushels
were harvested. 1t is believed in many
quarters that the department estimate for
1884 is not reliable; indeed it is known that
the returns from several States, including
California, were mere guesSeS. Last year
at this season and for the ensuing two
months the weather in the grain-growing
States was all that could be wished. If
this years crop equals that of 1889, the
acreage must be the same and the weather
equally favorable. 1t is not at all sure that
as many acres as usual have been planted
10 wheat in the river valleys OF the center
of the continent. Wheat has ruled SO low
that farmers are trying diversified agricul-
ture. Nor is it certain that there has been
the usual Increase in wheat acreage in Min
nesota and the Dakotas. OF the spring
weather, of course, no prognostication can
be formed. The department bulletins in
dulge in no predict ons.
We can speak with some confidence for
this State Throughout the Sacramento
Valley the tremendous rainfall of last
winter - about double the ayerage-has
caused diminution of wheat acreage, and
will probably cause an Increased yield per
acre. There is less land seeded with wheat
in SolanO, Sacramento, Yolo, Colusa, Yuba,
Shasta, Butte, Tehama and Placer counties
than has been the case for many years, and
the increased yield per acre will not offset
the diminished acreage On the other hand
throughout the san Joaquin Valley, there
is an increased acreage, and likewise an
increased yield per acre. The wheat crop
OF San Joaquin, Stanislaus, MERGED, Fresno
Kern, Tulare, San Bernardino and San
Diego counties will probably be the heaviest
on record; although. in such counties as
Fresno, considerable land heretofore planted
= 'A-SNS hSS ANAoh hlIlC4 pld4lGCu III NllltS
We notice that some of our southern con-
temporaries apprehend a cessation of wheat
culture in the counties which are drained
by the Southern Pacific from Lathrop south,
IN consequence Of the larger rewards offered
by fruit culture. But these authorities for
get the enormous area of such counties as
Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Bernardino and
San Diego. These counties can raise all
the fruit they can get hands to pick, and
yet have room for grain enough to feed four
States as large as California.
Wheat is, and has been for several wears.
too low. 1t is too low relatively to the price
OF iron, cotton, beef. tobacco. whisky and
wool 1t has been accidentally depressed
by the cultivation of new wheat fields in
the Dakotas and by the cheapening of
transportation from the central States TO
the seaboard. For five or six years, except
under very exceptional circumstances, there
has been no money for the farmer in grow
Ing wheat. These anOma-sles always correct
themselves in time. Cheap flour has led to
the substitution of wheaton bread for
coarser meals among classes to which the
former had been luxury; and now con-
sumption is so close upon production that
even partial crop failure anywhere
would start the market 1t is no wonder
there is furry in the pit" at Chicago.