The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-27

The exports of wheat are very heavy.
The low prices induce foreign countries
TO supply Themselves early as possible,
and II the price remains abnorrnally
low for two or three more months we
may find that our surplus is entirely
exhausted. and the stock remaining will
command n good figure. The Sentinel
IS still OF the opinion that its farm
readers should not be in hurry to mar
ket their wheat, and confidently hopes
that they will get substantial increase
In price by holding. 1t is seldom that
we advise any holding of farm products
when they are ready for market, but
when we believe that there is good rea-
son to expect improved prices, our in
terest in the members of the farm circle
lmpel US to counsel them not to over
load the market just now.
The condition of wheat, considering
both winter and spring varieties, when
harvested was "a against S5.3 in 1892.
The general average is the lowest since
1885, when il was ~. The reported con-
ditions from the correspondents for the
principal wheat growing states are as
follows: Ohio, 9S: Michigan, so; Indiana,
IS; Illinois, so: Wisconsin, so; Minnesota,
Go; Iowa. IS; Missouri, g.; Kansas. AZ;
Nebraska, 90; South Dakota, 66; North
Dakota, 81; California, 50; Oregon. SO;
In the East. New York, IS: Pennsylva-
mia, 90; Maryland, 9S: Virginia, SO, and
Texas, 6S. In the New England. east
ern and most of the southern states the
crop was harvested in good condition
and the yield averaged well. The same
can be said in Ohio. In Indiana the
quality is good but the crop light,
while in Illinois. Missouri. Kansas and
Nebraska the yield is small and of an
inferior quality, much Of it grading at
No 3 and under. and in some places is
reported TO be worthless. In the Dako-
tas the yield is light. while the quail
~ is generally good. In Iowa and Wis
cOnSin the winter variety yielded we'll
and was of good quality, while the
spring variety yield was poor and of
an inferior quality. In Minnesota the
yield has been poor and not up to eX-
pectations. the quality generally good,
with some complaint of shriveled grain.
In California and Oregon tEe quality Of
the grain is up TO an average. and the
yield has been good, except on low
lands, where 1t was generally damaged.
The price Of wheat IS kept down by
such Misrepresentation as the following
from the New York Commercial Bulletin:
1T Is within the past three years that
farmers organizations. formed for the
express purpose OF asserting what they
consider their rights against all the rest
of the community. have extended widely
throughout the wheat growing region.
One immediate effect of these organiza-
lions has been to deprive almost com
pletely the official reports of the meas
IRE Of accuracy and reliability to which
they had formerly been entitled This
was not a mere coincidence. It must
be remembered that the farmers them
selves declared their intention TO con-
troll as far as possible the markets for
their principal products and also TO con-
troll the sources Of information regarding
the past and prospective yield Of such
products Organs supported by the
money Of the farmers were published, in
which the farmers sOlemnly declared that
their crops were far below the avera &c
and adjured each other to keep back
their grain in the certainty of much
higher prices. The officials charged with
the duty Of crop reporting in the several
states were to a great extent brought
within the influence Of these organiza-
tons. Undoubtedly il is a fact though
it can not we'll be proven. that a very
large proportion of the correspondents
upon whom the United States relies for
information were brought within the
same influence. Favored by extraOr-
binary circumstances. the farmers OBJ
tanned high prices for their wheat for
two years. They deceived the public so
completely regarding crops that the
market became overloaded with wheat.
The consequence has been an extraord-
mary depression, which has now lasted
for full year. and yet the same tactics
are repeated in official and other ac-
counts of extraordinary decrease in yield.
Monetary difficulties aggravated the de-
preston to an even more serious degree.
Concerning this libel upon farmers or
CARNATIONS one journal says: rs il
necessary to convert the Alliance. Grange
and other farmers organizations into
vast lying societies in order to account
for these mistakes? In 1880 the esti-
mated area IN wheat was 36.OS7.1 acres.
II would require an underestimate Of
less than one bushel per acre to account
for the unexplained surplus carried over.
The acreage itself may have been I'M
derestimated enough 10 provide for a
part or even the whole of extra yield
With system of unpaid reporters. not
enough OF them, and no official RESPONSE
bIlity, II is not 10 be wondered at that
crops are sometimes under or overesti-
mated and it is not necessary TO Islander
farmers organizations to account for IT,
AS a rule a small crop is always over
estimated, and large crop Is underes-
timated."