The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-08-02
Hay Is Going Up In PrIee.

In speaking Of the wonderful advance in
the price of hay, Philadelphia CORES pond
ent Of the Lancaster Inquirer says:
\ year ago il was selling al about SIS per
ton. So rapid has been the advance that 81
per ton has been added to the price during
the past ten days, while the present market
price for choice to fancy baled hay along the
Atlantic seAboard ranges from so to - per
ton. The same quality OF baled hay is sell
ing in Great Britain at S25 and more per ton
and il IS hard TO get even at those prices
This is due to the short crops in England,
France, Austria and Germany. This is the
first time in many years that Europe has
been compelled to ask this country for such
a large amount Of hay, and it is the first
time in the history Of America that hay has
been exported tc Germany.
Few people realize what an enormous bus
iness the hay trade is. They fully sppreci-
ate the importance Of L" King Cotton, and
when they hear occasionally that some
prominent broker has been wrecked in a
wheat corner, they conclude that much mon
ey is made and lost in that cereal, but the
hay trade is considered small potatoes !"
For such readers it may be well to state that
hay is the chief crop in the United States, as
far as its money value is concerned, and
that il long ago distanced King Cotton. -
for many years the leading crop and now
stands without rival The latest official
figures obtainable show that the area deTot-
Ell to hay cultivation IS > ,59l ,903 acres, the
annual crop amounting to 46.G43.094 tons,
amounting in value to SOS. .499. .5o5. This
is far in excess of any other crop.
The United States stands first among na-
iions in the annual product Of hay; Ger
many is second, Russia third, France fourth
and Austria fifth. These Eve countries FIR
nish i've sixths of the entire hay crop Of the
world. and the shortage OF the crop in Eu-
rope, especially in Germany, where the gov
ernment has been compelled to interfere
has caused a lively demand upon the United
S. ates. IN some parts of Germany the scar
city Of fodder has abnormally enhanced the
value Of farm animals. and to relieve this
trouble and save these German farmers from
bankruptcy the government has intsrdicted
the export Of fodder. Other Continental na-
tions, particularly France and Austria, fear
ing a possible fodder famine II home. have
taken a hand in the matter, and the surplus
stock is to be held for local needs It cannot
be exported. The result Of this mas been
that the eyes Of purchasers have been turn
ed - the United States with strong posi-
biliiy that hay will be exported extensively
this year.
Tae demand for bay in the large cities has
been iessened during the past three years
from peculiar cause.-The substitution of
electricity and steam for horse power on sur
face car lines. The street railroads Of New
YORK city had until the Introduction of the
cable system, 1000 horses in service, and
the total number Of horses and mules on
American street railroads was not FAR from
10000. Now with 1000 miles of trolley
roads and over 800 Of cable. there IS decid-
edly less demand for horses and mules, and
correspondingly smaller demand for bay
and fodder. When one door shuts another
opens declares an ancient proverb, and this
is shown TO be the case in the hay business
this year