The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-17
THE WHEAT CROP.
Why 1t Is that the Prices Are Higher
This Year.

Washington Special in New York Post.
with the possible exception of 1891, this
years wheat crop will be worth more than
any other in the history of the country"
said one of the expert crop statlstlclans of
the Agricultural Department to-day. 1t
now appears" he continued, as if this
years crop would fall slightly below that
of 1891 in quantity but how it's selling price
will ultimately compare cannot be fully
foreseen The situation in the two years of
1891 and 1897 is much the same, In that the
home crops are enormous and the foreign
crops short. In 1891, according to the de-
partment returns, which, if they err at all,
are usually too conservative, the amount
of wheat harvested in this country reached
Gil 900 900 bushels. our crop last year was
427 900 900 and 467 100000 bushels in 1880. The
department has as yet made no exact state
ment concerning this years crop, but from
trustworthy commercial estimates daily
coming in it seems safe to say that the hg-
ures will run from .55O'OlOQ0 to 60O,oOI0H
bushels; or if anything, but little short OF
the extraordinary record of 1891.
Wheat is a peculiar agricultural prod
uct. 1t grows to peculiar advantage on
new lands and that is why the great wheat
regions of the world are in this hemisphere.
Rye and barley are more northern crops,
while wheat prospers over very Wlde
range of latitude and climate. 1t Is tood
grain for which the peaSantry OF the WoIlu
are just beginning to acquire taste. WIN
improving industrial c9ndiols among mo, liz
laboring classes everywhere, they gradually
gain the wheat-bread habit, which has al
ways been general in Ahls country. VI
course, the lower price at which 1t has been
possible TO sell wheat of recent years mas
made it obtainabe by more people. The
Asatics have within the last few years,
learned to eat it, and the peasantry of con-
tnental Europe are only beginning 10 dis
place rye and barley to any large extent IN
its favor. 81,
How this years ultimate prices Will
compare with those of 1891 II IS Impossible
to tell. The shortage abroad IS the result
of a succession of bad crops quite as much
as of this years failures. Inc reserve
stocks of the world were very low when
this season began. Argentina, one or the
great wheat countries of the world, mas
been very unfortunate particularly on ac-
count of droughts Russia and Austria VIII
this wear keep their own production at
home and there was report rev days
ago that Russia would put an export duty
on wheat But this seems hardly likely.
That country does not regularly produce
enough wheat for her own reasonable con-
SUMPTION and yet exports large quantities.
This is the natural operation OF CONNER
cial conditions: her own people are not able
TO paw as much for it as those OF other
countries. France which is usually a very
light importer. will need SO000,000 bushels
this year, while Austria, usually an ex-
porter may become an importer. The sup
nly of India Is also bad. The four great
Agricultural staples, in point of value. are
corn. hay. wheat and cotton. Large re-
turns from these crops are at the basis of
national prosperity and 1t may be correctly
said that the benefit that goes directly TO
the producers of these articles percolateS
through the entire Industrial fabric.