The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-11-23
THE CROPS.

The general intelligence of the country
would be higher and the general pros
perity greater if the crop reports. issued
by the department Of agriculture, were
more closely studied by all the people.
Those productions of the young men
under Uncle Jere Rusk are not, indeed,
such models of elegant diction that
their perusal would SO benefit people in
general, nor are they filled with prescrip-
tions for the coinage of wealth in Wall
street, yet since they contain indica-
tions OF the condition and relative size
OF the crops of food products of the
country, they must be held to treat in
an expert fashion of the foundations of
wealth and business.
"All flesh is grass" the Good Book
says, and it does not more tersely and
comprehensiyely state great truth.
Resolved to its original elements, so to
say, the wealth of all lands is in the
grass that grows from the soil-that is
to say, the agricultural products of the
SOIL From the bowels of the earth
come certain substances that are
wrought to facilitate the handling of
the natural periodical products of the
land, and certain substances used to
express ownership in those products;
but they are not OF permanent impor-
tance, or at least would not appear to
be If it We're possible to consider them
apart from the soil products they typify.
The study of the crops, therefore, and
the ability to correctly interpret the eff
feet their condition will have upon gen.
eral business and upon the social condi-
tions of all the world, is the highest de-
velopment Of economic science. The
man who knows all about the cotton
crop that is not yet picked is king in
cotton manufacturing districts, and if
he is shrewd he makes his knowledge
return him many of the dollars that are
the commercial vouchers for the cotton.
So the expert who knows the pros
poets for wheat, for corn, and for other
crops, has commercial article that is
of great value to him. He is also able
to estimate with considerable accuracy
the general prosperity and prospects of
the cour try during the period over
which the influence of a crop extends.
The great wheat and corn crop of a
year ago was the main spring of the ac-
tivity and solid prosperity that have
been evident in almost all lines of busi-
ness for year. The tariff helped, un-
doubtedly, especially in districts de-
pendent upon manufactures of goods
that realize into cash quickly. But the
prime cause of prosperity in this coun-
try is good crops of the great staple
cereals and Of cotton, and that will be
the chief cause of prosperity for great
many years to come.
1t is necessary to recognize the fact
now that the crops this year have not
been as good as they were last year, and
that most of them are below the aver
age. The October estimate of wheat
made the maximum 5OO, 900, 900 bushels,
which is largely in excess of the crop.
Corn will average but about 22.4 bushels
per acre, while last year it yielded 26.6
bushels, and the average for ten years
has been 25.1 bushels per acre. Pota-
toes yielded 62 bushels to the acre.
against 93.9 last year. Cotton will show
but from two-fifths to four -fifths of an
average crop. Hay yielded about the
same as last year. Tobacco fell off ma
did buckwheat, apples, pears,
grapes and sweet potatoes.
These facts are from the latest pam.
,hlet issued from the agricultural de-
,ar;ment. That they are of special and |
lefinite value to every man who pro-
. l.