The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-10
COMING CORN AND ITS PRICE.

SOAAN9 CO6N AMI A4S &1AAS6e
Two matters Of paramount import
ance now face the Kansan. One Is
the coming crop Of corn. The other
is the price the farmer will be permit
ted to receive for it, should he care to
sell it.
At present the Kansas farmer has
more than a prospect for a prOdigious
crop of corn. Some of the earliest
corn is now out Of danger. The later
corn, Of which the great bulk is, will
not be made for three weeks yet But
the promise that it will be made is not
the disappointing prospect of other
years The ground this year has been
soaked with peculiar rains. After
raining the clouds have fingered for
hours, in one instance for a whole
day. The absence Of wind and sun
has allowed this moisture, in this To-
cality at least, to sink in around the
roots Of the growing corn instead Of
being Tapped up by Sol and the drying
breezes. The temperature yesterday
and the day before was strange for
this season. The mercury clings around
the figures below 80 degrees. The
earth is cool, and the chances and
danger of hot winds delayed by so
much, which in all probability will re-
suit in their not coming at all this
year.
Part of the corn, then, Is made. The
greater part is upheld by prospects
such as the state has never had before.
The acreage is the most stupendous in
the history of Kansas.
What value, if the promise is full
filled, will the Kansas farmer be per-
mitted to put on his corn: Will he
be forced as he was six years ago, TO
sell and burn corn with a value Of 10
cents q buShel? Or will corn remain
where it is now. at forty odd cents a
bushel?
The corn crop in Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois and other eastern states will
be very short. In many districts the
pollen has been killed by the prolonged
drouth. The overprOduction, if such
a thing occurs, will be in Kansas and
Oklahoma and other western states.
and with so much Of the other sections
Of the country suffering from an under
production. the price Of corn will not
sink to a ruinous figure because of the
amount produced.
But the price of corn has other enc
mics than the chance Of Overproduc-
ton. 1t follows wheat to a great ex-
tent dropping when it drops, and ad-
vancing when wheat goes up. The
wheat crop was poor and the price of
wheat is at the bottom. So wheat is
not in a condition to drag anything
down and in that quarter corn is safe
from a reduction in price.
Most important of all agencies in
ruling or running the price Of corn is
the hog market, and beef as we'll. The
hog is the consumer Of the corn crop.
The price Of hog consequently rules
the price Of corn. The hog IS part OF
the meat market Of the world, mar
ket as important as the bread market.
When the hog is high, production Of
said hog Is stimulated. His fat de-
ponds on corn. The demand for corn
is increased, then, by high-priced hog.
At present, it is said, there is a scare
ity in the whole supply of hogs in this
country. If that is true, hogs will not
decrease in price, but increase the
minute the corn crop in the west is
assured, as the profit to be gained in
hogs will increase the demand for them
and with that, demand for corn.
So it can be said with reasonable GER
tainty that the Kansas farmer has an
unprecedented prospect for prodig-
ious crop of corn and a no less brilliant
prospect for a high price for the corn
when he harvestS it.
That means wealth for Kansas. II
means prosperous farms. 1t means
crowded stores for the merchants;
more business for the lawyers; better
pay for the doctors; more subscribers
for the newspapers; thousands Of
drOuth- stricken immigrants from east
ern states; higher valuation for land,
and Salable real estate. There can
be no doubt of it.