The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-14
Plcplrc for 81 Corn Famine.


the Chicago board Of trade and the
| New York stock. produce AMI coffee
exchanges, a circular letter on the corn
supply which, although intended to
promote speculation in that grain, we
think we can put to better use by COM
municating its substance to the farm
ers of South Carolina for their lnf0r-
nation against next springs planting.
1t is insisted that "the best posted
private authorities, the trade Journals,
the crop experts, and the larger and
best posted grain firms throughout the
country agree that the government
estimate of 1900 million bushels OF corn
as this years crop is from 100 to 2co
million bushels too high and that IA
conservative estimate of the crop would
not be over 100 million TO 1850 million
| bushels"
The husking shows that the crop III
large portions of the surplus corn States
is poorer in quality and condition than
any crop in ten years. much OF 1t tit
only for hog feed. "'rhc reserves of
old corn have been reduced to Il mlllI-
num-" More cattle are being fed ON
corn in the surplus corn States than
ever before. Various indications go to
prove that the consumption by hogs
vii! be very large during the coming
year. "rhe continued shortage OF
feeding stutfS on the continent OF Eu-
rope and in the United Kingdom has
stimulated the demand for corn, both
for human and animal food, and opened
ND innumerably new uses and new
markets. Last year saw the largest
| export of corn from this country. Tins
year will more than equal it. Already
since July / to date we have exported
over 100000 bushels more than for
the same time last year, and the de-
mand seems to increase from week to
week, stimulated in u measure by the
martial failure of the Danubian corn
crop, which leaves Europe almost ell
tirely dep cndcnt on us for its com
supply"
Eighty per cent of our corn crop, it
is asserted, is consumed on the farm,
and there the feeding and consequent
consumption is larger than was ever
before known. Assuming the govern
ment estimate of 1925 million bushels
to be correct, the statistics are give n
to prove n shortage OF corn supplies
next year, as compared with the con-
| sumption this year, of s17,O0O,00O BUSH
els, leaving not a bushel OF reserve
November /, 1890.
The circular continues:
If, however, the generally accepted
estimate of the corn crop as ascertained
by the husling is correct, there is in
addition to the shortage of 2l7, 900, COO
bushels, as shown by the government
| figures, an additional shortage of 1OO,-
0OO 900 to 200, ,OOO,O bushels to be taken
care of; a total shortage SO large as to
force extreme prices for corn before
another crop is OH the market.
But these figures do not tell the
whole story. a year ago the visible
supply of corn was AZ million bushels
against 90 million bushels to-day,
showing a shortage in our immediate
available supplies of 90 million BUSH
els. A year ago every point not in
cluded in the visible supply statement
was loaded with corn. The lake ports
of Collingwood, Midland, Prescott,
Kingston, Ogdcnsburg and Erie cor
tanned ut least four million bushels
more corn than at the present time,
and not one busllcl of it appears i'll the
visible supply. A year ago every prl-
vatc elevator here and elsewhere was
full to ovcrhowing with corn. To-day
they are practically empty. these stocks
being at least to 10 million bushels
less than last year.
A year ago every corn crib at every
railroad station in the surplus com
States was filled. To-day Il large ma
iOritv Of the corn cribs arc empty, and
IL very conservative estimate of the
shortage in this crib supply (and it
must be remembered that the govern
ment figures do not include corn that
has left farmers hands) would be
somewhere from 30 to 40 million bush
els, SO that it is safe to say that We
enter the present crop year with
stock of corn in all positions at least
400, 600, 900 bushels less than we actually
used during the 12 months from March
1st, 1897, to March 1st, 1893; i'll other
words, consumption has Overtaken the
supply, and, as compared with our
actual needs, the corn crop OF 1898 is
the smallest this country has ever
raised.
On this showing it is easy to agree
that "our actual needs will carry corn
prices high, and speculation will carry
them still higher
The weekly commercial reports have
long revealed the persistent and enor-
nous demand for our corn in Europe
On Saturday we printed Dunn's review
showing that corn exports for the week
were q, ,15l 900 bushels against 3,3l3,0Ol
for the corresponding week last year
'.Such foreign demand" said Dunn
cat prices much higher than last year