The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-01

In his new book, Crop Growing and
Crop Feeding" which will be published
early next month, says the Practical
Farmer. Prof. Massey calls Indian corn
the great American forage CROP" which
leads, naturally, to most interesting ar
ticle entitled Corn; Its Meaning to
America" in the Saturday Evening Post
for June l. in which Mr.. George H. Phil
lips, of Chicago, Familiarity known as the
Corn King" gives in some detail the
story of its rapid advance in value, and
its great importance in American agri-
culture. Mr. Phillips object is to show
that this advance in value is likely to
be permanent, because, while the con-
sumptive demand is steadily growing. the
limit of production has practically been
reached. He says: There has been no
material enlargement of the corn supply
in the last twelve years. On the other
hand, the last five years have witnessed
a tremendous increase in both the domes-
tic and foreign demand for corn. This is
ccnvincingly shown by a few facts COW
ering the period from 1895 to 1900. Looking
back five years we see an increase in the
annual (domestic) consumption for glu-
cose amounting to 25,0o0,OO0 bushels a year,
and in the export demands liz, 1000 900 bush
els annually; the increase in the number
of hogs slaughtered is 10000, 900, represent
iEg, at a low estimate, 200, 100000 bushels
in pork; in cattle slaughtered the in
crease mas been 100000, representing Co.
100000 bushels of corn a year in beef.
This makes a demand for 1896, 600 BUSH
els year for these four items-a SPLEEN
did increase over the requirements of five
years ago Concurrent with this startling
increase in the consumptive demand for
corn and it's products, there has BEEN let
it be remembered, no increase in the vol
ume of production.
Our crop in 1889 was 2,112 000 600 BUSH
els; in 1895. 2,15l 200, 900, and in 1900 it fell
back to 2,105, 100000. These figures show
400, 100000 bushels increase in the demand
for corn in the last five years, wholly
apart from the increased demand for the
yellow cereal as an article of food-and
this with a stationary production. All of
these comparisons between supply and in
creasing demand take no account of the
inevitable increase in the population, and
the consequent increased consumption.
Very little acumen is required to see
from this showing that we shall never
again return to the old prices for corn.
In my opinion, forty-cent corn will repre-
sent the minimum figure for the future.
Contrast this with the fact that 80 corn
was cribbed by investors in Kansas and
Nebraska at ten cents to thirteen cents
then suffering from general and acute
financial depression, into which other
elements entered: but II may be set down
with emphasis that when the American
corn crop commands its rightfulH figures.
as 1t will in the future, prosperity will be
far more general, and the suffering en-
tailed from financial depression much
less acute.
THE farmer side OF the corn question
t.a eta faA In "a
ers in the corn states of America are
more prosperous, have more ready mon
ey, better homes, better farms, and enjoy
more desirable social conditions than the
farmers in any other agricultural belt In
the world.
The value OF the country's corn crop
in 1900 was S75i ,O000 900 at farm prices: the
total wheat crop was valued at 1924. 100000
and the value OF ali the cereals In the
United States, including wheat and ex-
cepting corn. was S5s5.O00Oc0. This shows
the overshadowing Importance of corn 70
the American agriculturist as no amount
of talk can show Il. No country IN the
world has at any time produced a crop
OF any kind equalling the corn harvest OF
the United States In either volume or
value.
Now let US look at another phase OF
the corn question. on the basis OF the
normal production la recent years, the
ten cents a bushei which has been added
20 the price OF corn, as a tardy recogni-
ton OF the rapidly changing relations be-
tween supply and demand. has added
500 0000Og TO the annual income Of the
corn growers Of America. Divided among
the great corn states this sum distrib-
utes a. follows fi5ooo.Oo0 20 indiana
$40 0D0.O00 70 Ohio. tl0.C0.0oo 10 Iowa ais
Ooo,o9o 70 Missouri, ana s1g.oeo,o0e each 10