The morning call., 1892-08-29
TIE WHEAT YEAR.

1t is now estimated that the wheat crop
Of 1892 will foot up 1,2192G0 tons. of which
S69,eC tons will be available for expert In
a few sections the " heat acreage has been
eneToached upon by orchards aad vineyards,
especially in A lameda, Santa Clara and
NRpa. The banner counties, with crops OF
over 3. .000, Coo bushels each are, In the order OF
their production, Stanislaus, Merced, Tulare,
San Joaquin, Colusa and Yolo. Last year
the shipments of wheat in the grain
amounted TO G47, eco tons. worth S21, 7S7, 600,
and of wheat in the shape of -four to 81, $50,
worth S1,71S.000. This year the shipments
VIII be heavier, though perhaps they may
not realize as much money, owing TO the
lower prices which bid fair to prevail
Last year the market opened at 81 80 and
rose steadily to 81 80, between which figures
most of the crop was disposed OF. 1t then
declined with some fluctuations to 81 35 at
which figure the wheat year closed. Char
tiers ranged from 15 10 30 0shillings. the latter
being the fruit of corner by irresponsible
spectators, and the former being due TO its
collapse. At the present moment No. /
shipping wheat is worth 81 so and charters
80 10 IS shillings, while in New York the
same grade of wheat is worth about so cents
bushel and charters are1% pence bushel,
last week of August, 1891, No. wheat was
worth 81 y n bushel in New York and
81 20 a GENITAL here.
The export movement of the last fiscal
year from the whole country represented,
as the department announced some time
ago, over a thousand million of dollars in
value. OF this amount nearly $500. O00, ,000-
the actual figure is S299. 163, ,100-represented
breadstuffS of all kinds, and S236, 761, ,0G0
wheat and flour. Our share in the latter
was SIC, $685. COO, or over IL per cent We
are so accustomed nowadays to big figures
that these aggregates excite no surprise,
but as a matter of fact the total exports OF
all classes of produce and merchandise
from the United States did not reach the
amount of the shipments of breadstuifs
alone in 1912 till the middle of the War
of the Rebellion
In another month we shall be able to form
a shTewd guess as TO Europe's food wants
during the year 1929 1t is evident from
the declining tendency of the markets at
Liverpool, New York and Chicago that
those who are best posted look for re-
dueed demand. Both the French and the
English crops are said TO promise well.
But the cholera has yet to be reekoned with.
We hear already that an embargo has been
placed. or is about TO be placed, on ship
ments from Odessa, in consequence Of The
spread Of the. disease through the Nolga
Valley, and though the great seaport of the
Black Sea relies chiefly for It's supply of
grain upon the valleys of the Dniester and
the DEiepeT it is more than probable that
the epidemic has already reached those
sections. Indeed, if il follows its usual line
of travel il will presently be heard of in the
valley of the Danube, and il would nat
urally interfere with the movement Of grain
from Hungary and the princpalitieS. The
first effect of a pestilence is TO check the
transportation OF persons and property
from place 10 place. In their panic at tie
spread of disease and death communities
barricade against each other and even shut
off the sources of their food supply. \ care
ful observer of the factors which may gov
ern the European demand for American
grain viii not leave the cholera out Of his
calculations.
The qualification which the Californian
Wheat-groweT feels at the steadily increas-
ing demand for one of the chief staples Of
the State is regulated by the price " hich
the product brings At the present time
the California rancher realizes abont cent
pound gross on his ranch That yields
him moderate profit, if his farm is handle led
with skill. Very large farms, where the
work is done almost altogether by machin-
cry, can produce wheat if tie soil is level
and fertile, at half cent a pound. But on
the great majority of our valley farms the
farmer does not grow rich when he gets a
cent. He makes living and that is all.
DE cannot but feel enYieus Of his neghb0r
who, with an orchard and vineyard which
are skilifuily handled, realizes $500 and $3.50
an acre out Of his land.