Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-28
FARMING IMPLEMENTS
Agricultural Tools Are in Good De-
mand and the Outlook
FOR THE YEAR AHEAD PROMISING.
Times Are Ripe for New Manufacturing
Plants in Our City.
HARDWARE ACTIVE AND PRICES LOW
OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH,
TUESDAY, Jan. y.
Agricultural Goods.

Agricultural Goods.
Dealers in agricultural implements, seeds,
etc, report very promising outlook in their
department OF trade The clover seed crop
was practical failure in Western Penn
sylvania and Eastern Ohio last season and
farmers in this section are now entirely de-
pendent on tire West for their supplies. In
ordinary years Westmoreland, Fayctte and
other nearby county farmers have an over
plus of clover seed, and furnish about one
half .of the amount demanded in this
market. Now these farmers look to Pitts
burg dealers for their supplies, tine latter
drawing on the West where there is
a full average croP. AS result of
the increased demand from the Eastern
sections OF the country clover has been steadily
moving upward, and an advance of 25c per
bushel was reported from Chicago yesterday.
Prices are from 81 90 to 81 so per bushel higher
than at this time year ago, and still further
advances are probable. Other seeds required
by farmers are the same as last season. Along
with clover comes the failure Of the potato
crop in this section, and the seed in this line
will be more than double the average expense
10 our farmers and gardeners the coming
spring. In the line of agricultural implements
a representative of one of our leading firms
had this TO say in an interview yesterday:
-'Orders for mowers, reapers and plnws are
coming IN earlier than usual this season. We
do not look for many orders until the latter
part of February onearly in March, but have
been agreeably disappointe ed in receiving some
nice orders at this early stage. Last season our
firm supple the farmers of this section with
almost 500 reapers and mowers. and several
other houses no doubt did equally well. The
present outlook promises better year ahead
than the year just past. There Is one line in
which our trade TINS winter has been better
than for number of years, namely. bob-sleds,
which are manufactured in Tiffin, o., and are
sold at about SIS apiece. The sales of our firm
This winter will already reach 400
a Better Demand for Sleighs.
Sleighs also have been selling better this
winter than usual. Chicago being the source of
supply Factory wagons have been handled by
the Pittsburg agricultural houses the past year
TO the number of not less than 1000
In view of the facts that all our hardware
firms deal more or less In agricultural imple-
ments. and that our city Is not center of agri-
culture, it is plain that the business of furnish
ing farmers Will the necessary tools for their
avucation is fairly lively in our city.
D There is however, one drawback to this
pleasant picture that implements for the
farmer are only sold, not manufactured here.
Tie steel and iron goes from here To Canton,
Massillon, Springfield. Dayton and Tiffin, TO re-
turn again in flashed products. These flour
lsh;ng Ohio cities which deserve credit for
their push and enterprise and are reapng rich
rewards are doicg much work which should be
cone nearer home. A score of years ago
PIttsDurg firm engaged III the manufacture of
cider mills, cutting machines, ETC., went down
for want OF sufficient patronage We managed
TO hold our own in the manufacture of piows,
but in the general limo of agricultural imple-
ments our city has been left IN the rear by en-
5erprising cities of the West, which did not
possess the same natural advantages. The Al
legheuy farmer who breaks his mower or
reaper cannot find any nearer point than Can
ton or MasSillon, where the substitute for the
broken piece can be had.
These things ought not so to be. There is
abundant room here for manufacturers of I'm.
ished products. Times are ripe for the plant
1ng Of new industries.
In Hardware Lines.
The volume of trade in hardware continues
unusually good for the time of year. In most
lines of general hardware prices have seldom
been So low as at the present time. The margin
of profit to the manufacturer must be more
tAan wiped out as regards many finished
products. Nails have probably never sold as
low as this season. and-it is onlya question of
how much the manufacturer is losing present
prices. According to well authenticated re-
ports sales of steel nails have be Cen made at the
factories as low as s. 75 per keg
II is within the memory of people not old
when an inferior article TO the present steel
nail sold at s. per keg.