Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-03-24
Stock of Wheat.

The report for March of the Department
of Agriculture relates to the distribution of
corn and wheat, and the stock remaining
on FARMS 1t is not census of individual
holdings of growers, but is based on county
estimates of the percentage of last years
product remaining, made by board of COR.
respondents in each county, and also by an
independent board, reporting to the State
agent. All grain, including any surplus of
previous years, is included.
The estimated proportion of wheat on
hand is s62 per cent of the last crop, the
smallest percentage in ten years. The guam
tlty on hand aggregates 135,000,000 bushels,
100000 bushels less than last March, and
$4,000, 900 more than the remnant of the
very small crop of 1890. A very large pro.
portion is found in States that do not spare
bushel for commercial distribution; only
1900 900 in the principal spring wheat
States more than half Of which is required
for seed in the spring. OF the winter wheat
States only Kansas and California have any
considerable surplus available for CONNER
cial distribution.
The amount exported in twelve months is
100000 bushels required for consump.
ton, 300,0000,000; seed used 54,000,000;
visible stocks, 100000, total of 624,O00,.
900, against an apparent supply of 71S, 000,,
900 bushels. There is therefore an appir.
ent excess of distribution from the late two
crops OF 100000 bushels, as compared
with previous estimates, showing, if pres
ent estimates are correct, which cannot be
positively assured, that the crops Of 1891
and 1899 were underestimated by two or
three per cent, which would be very close
margin on the safe side. Very little old
wheat is reported on hand. The average
weight of the crop per measured bushel, as
calculated from returns of milers and State
agents and correspondents, is 57.5 pounds
reducing the estimated product to i000,.
900 commercial bushels.
Leasing the oyster Beds.-The Sandy
Spring correspondent of the Baltimore Sun
gives the following under the date of 10th
instant:
"Mr. Edward Gilpin, of the State Road
League, has been distributing Mr. b. How
ard Humans exhaustive argument in favor
of leasing and cultivating the unproducuve
oyster beds of Maryland, and then leasing
them in the interest of road improvements.
The revelations of that argument have set
our residents to considering question as
absorbing as the tax discussion in your city.
If our 100000 acres Of unproductive oyster
beds can be made to yield as Accomac coun-
ty beds have yielded nearly $500 per acre,
against ~ only from natural beds, and $40
per acre may be realized by leasing these
beds, as is done ia Rhode Island, the State
will have neat little sum of $4,000 900 to
be distributed through the counties for road
purposes. Virginia has already made
move through her western count les for the
extension of her oyster beds in order that
foreign capital may be brought into the
State. bill for encouraging the cuItiva.
ton OF oysters in the unpro luctive bsls of
the Chesapeake, backed by The State Road
League, will be introduced into our next
legislature, and, like Virginia, its supporters
must come from the western counties of the
State. Sandy Spring will be in harness
for work when needed"