The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-07-30
HANG TO YOUR WHEAT.
THAT is THE ADVICE SENT TO
THE FARMERS.

Onc MILLION circulars are TO b0 MolIeO 10
tho Producers OF Breadstuffs Plan
Is Designed to Prevent the Speculators
of the Country from Depres >,nE Prices.
The Farmers Alliance folks are great
~ interested in the reports OF small
shipments of wheat and increasing
prices The Alliance prophets have
been predicting a rise in the price Of
wheat and have been advising farmers
to hold their crops as long as possible in
order to get tie advantage of the in
crease. 1t has been said that the Alli-
ance was going to try to make a corner
in wheat This the Alliance leaders
deny, but they say they have done their
best to inform the farmers of the condi-
tion of the wheat crops of the world, so
that they may know what to calculate
on in making their sales Through the
reform press bureau" which is located
in this city, says Washington dis
patch. the Alliance leaders are
sending ont circular, pre-
pared some time ago and re-
Gently adopted for circulation among
the farmers. which enters into
full discussion of the condition of the
crops. predicting an excel ent cropin this
country and quoting the indications in
crop reports that the foreign crop will
be short and prices high. The recon-
mendation to the farmer is that he hold
his wheat for the rise in price whenever
it is possible for him TO do SO. Since the
12th Of this month 400. .000 of these cir
cuIars have been sent ont to the farmers.
Two hundred thousand will be sent out y
during this week, and it is contemplated
II lat I ic
pected that the result will be slow ship
mcnt of wheat to the markets, and that
the farmer himself will claim the in
creased value of his product, instead of
giving the spectators the benefit of the
profits In other words, the farmers
will do a little speculating in their own
way. The circular says in part:
"Our Agricultural Department issues
every month Government report about
the crops. These reports estimate the
number of acres sown and give the per-
centase of condition. a percentage OF
100 is a somewhat ideal crop and would
indicate yield OF thirteen bushels and
fraction to the acre. 1t has been sur
passed only once-namely, in the year
1Ss2, when the condition at harvest was
1O4 and the yield thirteen and one-half
per acre. Our present crop is somewhat
similar to the crop of 1854, the Govern
ment report report making the acreage
the same and the condition somewhat
less. In 1884, at harvest time, the con-
dition of winter wheat was reported
at 9S and of spring wheat at 90.
This year the condition of winter
wheat is ?6.f, and that of spring
wheat o2.G, or about 3 ]9 per cent less
than the final report of 1884. AS the
harvest Of 1854. the largest we ever had.
was 5l2, 900. coo bushels, the last Govern
| ment report would indicate crop OF
| 494, 600, ,00o bushels, say 500, 600, 900 In
| round numbers. The home consumption
| has Increased with the population and Is
| certainly over $50. 00o, 900 bushels, prob
| ably 800, 600, coo, which leaves us 14O,-
| 0O0 900 for export During the last ten
| years we exported la7,o0o.0 900 yearly In
| average, of which Europe received 107,-
600, 600 and the West Indies and South
America 20,O0o,OC0 This year we may
| have 100000 more to spare, which,
| however. will go TO South America on
account of the reciprocity treaties, and
| Europe will receive the average guam
| tity of about l07, ,OOO. 900 bushels and no
| more, as we have no reserves to draw
| upon.
"This would make both ends meet
| there if Europe had 4 good average crop,
| but Europe has not good average crop:
| in fact, it has the worst crop failure of
| the century. Last winter was phenom
| enal all over Europe in its severity and
| duration. Snow and ice covered Italy
| and Spain and were actually carried far
| into Africa. Vessels on the Mediter.
ranean came into port thickly COW
| cred with ice, and this abnormal
weather worked incalculable dam
| age to the winter wheat in all
| the countries of the continent
The spring has been late and very un-
| favorable, and even in June snow and
| frost destroyed most of what was left in
| half of Germany and great part of
| Austria. That the crop disaster is not
| local or moderate or exaggerated can be
| clearly seen by the action of the differ
ent governments. Russia appointed a
| commission to investigate the crop dam
| ages, which reported wheat 1. per cent
below average and rye much worse. It
| is the custom Of that government to
quiet the alarm of the people, and the
damage, therefore, is surely not less than
reported, but probably much more"
| The circular discusses generally the
condition of the foreign crop and tells
the farmers how to take advantage Of
| the situation to get the full value of their
product. There will be very few, in
Decd" the circular suggests, unwilling
| to hold off to see what will become Of
| this move, as in view of the situation
| prices could never be lower, but even il
one-half or more of the farmers should
be persuaded by the arguments Of rail-
| road and elevator men to rush their
| wheat into the market, the result would
| be the same, for If a considerable num-
ber of those who are in the habit of
| marketing early hold back, in a little
while the farmers deliveries would fall
short of the requirements, and the effect
| would be the same as If no wheat had
| been brought in ut all. There is, how
ever, little danger that any considerable
number of farmers could be induced to
market their product in hot haste at
present prices. They all know that the
remnants of last years crop are smaller
than ever. and that present prices are
entirely out of proportion to the con-
dit;on of the worlds crop. No crops
that can be raised this year can change
the fact that the worlds supply is i'm
menseIy below the requirements. The
American farmer is intelligent enough
to know that whoever markets his prod
ucts late in a year like this receives the
best prices, and there is really no dan
ger that many will show enough SYM
pathy with the speculator to come to
| his rescue"
| Atchison G,obules.