The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-05-26
BETTER PRICES FOR WHEAT PRO
RABLE.

The New York Sun concludes from
the reports of the Department of
Agriculture for May that it is reason
ably certain that the wheat crop
will be below the average of the years
1S80-1S90, even though the remainder
of the season be favorable. Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, all
great wheat-producing States, will
not, it is estimated, contribute one
half as much to the worlds supply as
they did in 1892. In Michigan, Iowa
and Nebraska full crops are impro-
bable and in Texas and other less i'm
portant wheat growing States the
early promise is not likely to be full
filled. The Sun also points out the
fact that the demand in Europe is in
creasing every year and the estimate
would need an addition of some A.
OO0,0 900 bushels to meet the need of
1893. The estimated foreign demand is
set down at 36S, 900, 900 bushels. Wheat
production is decreasing in the import
ing countries and the additional annu-
al requirements must be made up by
importations from the United States or
elsewhere. The United States, it is
estimated, will have rs, 400, 900 bush
els to spare. The probabilities are that
the surplus of other continents will be
below the average, and their domes-
tic requirements, occasioned by
growth of population, are ever increas-
ing. The wheat areas of the world,
except in the Balkan States and Ar
gentina, have not increase and in
those the increase has been slight.
The Australian area has decreased
and the area in Canada is about
the same, with greater home de-
mand, SO that less wheat from Aus
tralia and Canada will reach Europe
than was sent five years ago. The
Sun adds
The assumption has been very gen.
eral that the United States could
meet the demands of the world for
bread, no matter how great they
might be. This belief has been
strengthened by the enormous exports
from the last two harvests. Although
exceptional in acreage yield, they
were grown ON an area gradually
diminishing, yet have become, from
their magnitude, the deceptive basis
of all comparisons, and have led to
wrongful conclusions as to the trend
of the traffic in wheat. 1t is a fact.
established alike by the census of 1890
and recent State reports, that the
area under wheat in this country is
materially less than ten years ago
Domestic requirements are increasing
annually by the measure of the needs
of the ,5OO,O 600 new people yearly add
ed, and our power to export bread
stuffs is vanishing quite as rapidly as
the population augments, and per-
haps more rapidly; for the per capita
rate OF consumption advances as does
the ratio of whites to the corn eating
black population of the Southern
plantations. With an average yield
per acre, and the area devoted to
wheat growing remaining undimin-
ished, we can produce about 400, 900,
600 bushels. OF this we require about
378, 500, 900 bushels for the use of bread,
seed, and in the arts, at a rate of
consumption no greater than obtain
ed during the period 1S90-1S9O SO
that the exports of the season, in the
event of an average crop, would be
about rs, 500, 900 bushels, plus such re-
serve stocks, above the average re-
serves of recent years, as may exist
AT this time the visible supply exceeds
that of May, 1891, by about $4,000, 900
bushels. 1t therefore appears that
with an average yield the exports
might reach 10000, 600 bushels
Should the yield, however, fall as
low as some of the Chicago experts
are now estimating, or to about
35O, 0O0, 900 bushels, the exports would |
assume very meagre proportions, pro-
hably not exceeding present reserve
stocks, and leave domestic deficit to
be met
The San likewise remarks that tex
listing conditions are not such as to
ensure continuance of these low
prices, nor is it desirable that the
farmer should sell his grain at cost or
below it,
The growing wheat crop in Hartford
looks unusually well and promises
large yield, but so many things may
yet occur to it that no definite esti-
mate of the crop can be made until it
is safely housed in the garner. A
good yield of wheat and good prices
for it would give great encouragement
to our farmers and afford a wonder |
full stimulus to every industry.