The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-04
PLENTY OF CORN.
The West and south Give Good
Yields
Youth s Companion.

Youths Companion.
When the reports that told of the
probable damage 10 the corn crop Of the
country we're received, the news caused
great excitement in the markets
Prices were so swift and seriously NJ
fected that in the Chicago exchange
something like panic occurred.
Yet although it il announced thai,
this most important crop is q
failure, nevertheless that is only
a comparative statement The govern
ment experts have estimated that the
corn lands of the West and South
will yield as much as billion and
a half bushels, so that no danger OF
famine or great distress exists. When
it is said that the corn crop is a fail
ure, the meaning is that the harvest
yields SO little that prices are sure to
be advanced, and food products made
from corn will cost the consumer more
than would be the case were the crop
full one
hn -;a1I I,
as two billion bushels at harvest. then
such plenty prevails as cheapens the
prices of meats, into which much OF
the corn grown in the West is con-
verted.
Therefore when the falling off, by
reason of drought or from other causes,
is as great as half billion bushels, the
the entire country ls made to suffer
Although the farmer may get high
er price for the corn he carries to mar
ket, yet he is not likely to gain much
advantage, since the increased price of
those things he is obliged to buy is
quite certain to absorb all his gains.
Besides, shortage in the corn crop
of any season by so much as half a
billion bushels may so seriously affect
the earnings of many of the railway
companies as to reduce the dividends
they have been accustomed to pay
to their stockholders, possibly to
make it necessary to pass them.
That means enforced economy, which
is sure to be felt by the community in
the decreased expenditures. Thus hard
times are caused.
In the past twenty years the corn
crop of the United States has been Sc
riously affected by unfavorable wealth
er four times. and with one exception
each year of failure has been followed
by period of financial distress, or
hard times. In 1877 the crop failed
to Weld an average, and the effect was
telt In decreased railway earnings and
increased prices, which had much in
f1uencc in causing the business panic
of the following year.
In 1881 the crop again ran short,
and although no convulsion of the
markets followed, yet the check to
business prosperity such as had existed
since the resumption of specie pay
ments in 1879 was very perceptible.
But the failure of the crop of 1888
created much of the unhappy infu-
ences that brought on the disastrous,
although brief, panic Of 1884.
IN lCJO again tI1c SUN Dcdt uo"H III
such fiery and long-continued heat as
to parch the corn and greatly dimin-
ish the expected harvest, and followed
as that was by the worldwide panic
caused by the failure of the Barlngs in
London, broueh: something OF busi-
ness distress upon this country, and
even the peril of actual panic, hap
PLY averted.
In the summer of 1892 nature Law
lshed its favors upon the coln-fields Of
the country, and one of the greatest
haryests OF corn recorded contributed
to season of unusual pros
peritv. Some of the railway com
panies were obliged To build freight
cars in great numbers to transport
the corn to the markets and every
stoarshin available was under charter