The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-16

ton OF ABOUT QUO quarters IN the 1ol
lowing year and as much as 10000 *
10000 quarters in 1895. The prices then
ranged from about 40 to so shillings pei
quarter for a short time, and while q
small portion of the Argentine pro
ducers had the advantage of realizing
such prices the bulk of the seed was
thrown on an oyerstocked market, with
such disastrous consequences that the
prices dropped down to as low as % tc
% shillings per quarter for La Plata
and 81 to 2s shillings for Turkish seed
and remained at those figures for most
of last year.
Considering that canary seed is Gull
tivated only on small acreage. and that
its gathering and disposal are much
more expensive than that of the great
food staples, it was found that it would
pay the farmers only if they could real
ize for it price considerably above
that of wheat, and as soon as the Argen-
tine farmers were impressed with the
apparently permanent nature of these
low figures they abandoned the produc-
ton IN Just as striking q way as they
bad taken it up few years previously.
According to the latest reports the
growing Of canary seed has practically
been bandoned and there is nothing OBJ
tainabie in that country except very
few lots for which owners are looking
for prices far above those realizable al
present.
Concurrently with this movement one
of the leading countries that used TO be
distinguished for supplying most of the
European markets, Holland, has been
almost entirely beaten out Of the field,
so that the acreage in that country, once
supplying as much as 10000 quarters
from a single crop, has dwindled down
to next to nothing. In England like
wise the farmers have given up grow
ing canary seed year by year, and it is
now quite rare thing to see a sample
of native seed.
Morocco, another country that used to
supply Europe with a number of car
goes of this seed, besides regular steam.
er parcels, has also reduced its produc-
ton considerably. Spain, which at one
time used to get q special price for ite
excellent seed, has also been unable
to stand the general tendency Of low
prices, and had to give up growing to
a large extent.
The only country that SO far has
steadily kept on producing this seed
and which has from time immeInorial
been familiar with its cultivation is
Turkey. During the time when wheat
ruled at low figures Turkey has kept
on growing this seed, being satisfied
with getting for it little over wheat
price, but now that wheat is selling
considerably over the value of canary
seed it is hardly to be expected that
Turkey will, even providing that the
crops are favorable. have anything like
its usual acreage under this crop
Up to about five years ago, when the
value Of canary seed had at no time
been lower than about 80 shillings, and
very frequently double and treble that
price, the bulk of supplies used to be
In the hands Of Greek houses, who, hav-
ing made advances on it at harvest time,
distributed such quantities as were
from time to time wanted to the various
ports in western Europe and the United
States. Now this system has been en-
tirely altered. the seed being mostly
thrown on the general market soon
after harvest, so that at the moment the
visible supply in Turkey itself is in
significant and practically the whsle
of the worlds supply is in the hands Of
either direct consumers or Of the gem
eral trade throughout the world.-Chi-
cago Chronicle.