Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-07-16
COOP YEARS AND BAD YEARS.

raised only about seyen-tenths as much
corn as it did in 1889, and less than fiYe-
sixths as much wheat Were the farm
ers who raised and sold this crop the
poorer for the decrease in the amount
produced? Assurdly not, notice that
we do not say all farmers, but only those
who raised this grain, -for it is esti-
mated by the Department Of Agricul-
ture that the smaller crop of corn and
wheat of the year 1890 will turn out to
have been worth one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars more than the large
crop of 1889.
This is an interesting example of the
working of the law OF supply and de-
mand. 1t has eenrepeatedly and truly
said that the increase in the amount Of
money which the farmers received for
their grain was not merely in spite OF
the reduction in the amount raised, but
on account of it.
The crop of corn in 1889 had been the
largest in nine years. 10 amounted to
more than two thousand one hundred
millions of bushels, and for this crop
the farmers received an average of 28
cents bushel-the lowest average price
in nine years.
The corn crop of last year, on the
other HAND, LESS than fifteen hundred
million bushels.-was actually the
smallest for nine years, notwithstand-
ing the many thousands of new farms
that have been opened; and it is not
surprising that the average price of
corn should have risen to its highest
figure in nine years-a little more than
80 cents bushel.
1t may appear from this that great
drought, or some other condition which
makes farmers crops small, is bless
ing rather than calamity; but il should
be remembered that the picture has an
other side.
The blessing in disguise was, as we
have already limited, only blessing to
those agriculturists who succeeded in
growing crop, and had more than
enough corn for sale to compensate
them for the decrease in Their products.
Many thousands had none to sell, and
many thousands had to purchase corn
or sell their stock, losing the profit
which they hoped to gain from feeding
the stock.
Moreover, on account of the scarcity
and high price OF corn, millions of half
fattened swine, which the farmers could
not afford to feed, were sent to market,
causing low price of pork, and loss
In that direction even to many farmers
who succeeded in raising a surplus of
corn. The consumers of beer have also
obtained poorer quality than usual.
Nor, though smaller aggregate crop
may be worth more than larger one,
is it to be supposed that it is of advant-
age to farmer to raise less corn or
wheat than the acres he devotes to
either Of those crops can be made to
produce.
If there is abundance, and the farmer
raises thousand bushels of wheat for
which he can get only 60 cents bushel,
it is more to his advantage to have q
thousand bushels to sell than it is to
have only 500.
On the other hand, if crops are very
poor, it is perfectly evident that the
more wheat the farmer can raise the
better off he is. It is not scarcity on
his own farm that helps the farmer, but
sacarcity on other peoples farms.
OF course in year of light crops the
number of those who suffer is vastly
larger than those who gain. For scar
city means high prices to all consum-
ers, diminished railroad receipts. q
smaller quantity for export and ex-
change with foreign commodities, and a
generally reduced surplus of savings.
1t is, therefore, disaster to all except
the particular persons who raise sur
plus which they can sell at high price.
It is practice of producers of grain,
sometimes not fully taken into account,
to keep back as much of their crop as
possible for the period when prices are
best. In March, 1891. more than one
third of even the small corn crop of the
year before was still on hand, and more
than one-fourth of the wheat crop was
still in the farmers granaries. These
proportions are considerably larger in
years of abundant crops.
Meantime, whether crops are large or
small, the quantity used for food steadily
rises. Of the small wheat crop of 1890,
more was actually consumed in the
country than of the large crop of 1889;
and for it the consumers paid an average
price-to the farmer at his farm-of
about "a cents bushel, as against about
70 cents for the crop of 1889.
The average inhabitant Of the United
States consumes four and two-thirds
bushels of wheat per year; and in most
OF the Northern States the consumption
is about five bushels per head.
He Could Not Read.