Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-12
IoWA's PREMIER GRAIN is
CROWNED MONARCH BY AG.
RlcULTURIsTs.
FARMER HOLDS TRUMP
The Man Who Has Corn In His Gran
. aries is Able to Dictate This Year
High Prices Are Paid for Corn on
Change.

. N
1t became monarch of prosperity !
yesterday when at coronation time the
official heralds-governmen figures
announced a condition which substan-
tiated the wisdom of those who placed
faith in the bounding prices for legiti-
mate railway securities and during
four months argued for advancing
prices which would be felt in all de.
partments Of trade and commerce.
Once only in the nations history has
the corn crop exceeded that which the
governments men have just measured.
AS 1t Is, were the figures just issued
not counted as ultra-conservative the
production of the season would stand
officially at the head of the class in
history Of achievements for corn har.
vested. In the view of the merchants
who will handle and market the i'm
mense output the crop is considered
the largest ever handled.
Never before has there been such a
combination of auspicious circum-
stances-a record crop and profita.
Bile market. Already at hand is a large
and profitable national commerce. do.
nestle and foreign demands promise
enormously, while the great bulk to be
moved will roll up staggering figures
of wealth.
America to Supply World.
For the analyst here are some actu-
alities: The new corn just preparing
for market finds the old crop swept
away. The east Is as bare of corn as
the west and south are overfiowing
with the grain Argentina the only
competitor of the United States in the
western hemisphere is almost through
with Its shipping and must await an
other crop ere 1t again becomes
competitor in the markets Of Europe.
Central and southeastern Europe,
heretofore this country's sole compet-
1tor In the eastern hemisphere this
time becomes consumer rather than
producer owing to a disastrous
drought. For all practical purposes,
America has the corn market Of the
world alone with the product to fill
all orders.
Realizing his advantage, confident
of his position. the American farmer
is selling slowly. AS result the mar
ketings from the crop of 1904 are far
behind those in the years when a
much smaller output was tailed.
Effects on Change.
| The most recent effects of this have
been seen in December corn on the
Chicago Board of Trade, in the repur-
chase of cargoes in Europe by Ameri-
can exporters who had sold for deliv-
cry in January and February, and in
the extravagant prices that are being
realized for the few cars of corn that
are daily available in the various mar
kets Of the country.
New corn, barely dry enough to shell
and not sufficiently dry to be given a
grading in any market, sold within 2
cents as high as the "cornered" Decem-
Der delivery. No. 4 corn, just within
the grade specifications, sold nearly 8
cents above the December top Corner
i, price Of yesterday Ordinary No.
corn sold in New England at 731s cents
a bushel and in New York at II cents
Farmer Holds Trump Gard.
The consumer appears to be more
than anxious and it is UP to the farm er
to say whether he shall be supplied lib
orally enough to break the price of the
agrarian's own product. With the keen
merchandising proclivity displayed by
the agriculturalist in selling his last
two crops it is more than likely that
the supply will be plentiful only when
the real anxiety of the buyer is re
Ifected by his willingness to pay good
! price.