The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-06

larger than usual and the zinc and
spelter situation should be watched
| for the effect of this increase.
More Oil Wells.
There were 1890 oil wells COM
pleted during March compared with
1889 wells completed in February.
and the new production of oil for the
month was $4,000 barrels compared
with ie5, eco barrels in February. On
March 81, 1,1s7 rigs were up and
3.210 wells were drilling, making a
total for that date of 4,397 rigs up
and wells drilling compared with
4,312 on February rs. Receipts of
oil by the pipe lines during March to-
tailed 12.S09,000 barrels compared
with 10,932,000 barrels in February.
/ Stocks of crude petroleum held in
i storage by pipe line companies on
March 81 aggregated 93.6SS.000 bar
rels compared with 94,sS0, 600 barrels
a month before and $3.50 bar
reis two months before.
/ Production of gold in the transvaal
in March totaled 1000 fine ounces
compared with $4,000 ounces in Feb
ruary and $4,000 ounces in March,
1916.
Commodity prices which have sue
cessively set new high records each
month since last September continued
their advance during March and once
more reached a new high point on
April / Bradstreets index standing at
SASS on that date compared with
si4.14 on March ]. and s1I.76 on
April ]. 1916. During March, eighty
eight articles used in the index ad-
vanced in price and thirteen de-
creased.
Domestic consumption Of cotton in
March amounted to SOC, goo oales
C6nnpTpd with ma hal in
March year ago. March cotton ex-
ports aggregated $4,000 bales COM
pared with $4,000 in March of last
year, while imports totaled $4,000
bales compared with $4,000 bales a
year ago. Stocks of cotton in CON
Stunning establishments on March 81
totaled 2,p49,o00 bales compared with
1850 bales last year, and stocks in
public storage and in warehouses were
: 10000 bates compared with S, 4tT
ON March 81, 1916. There were So,
$4,000 spindles in operation in March
compared with 32.029. 900 active in
March Of asst year. The final report
on cotton ginning places the amount
of cotton Einned from the crop OF
1915 at l1351,000 bales, which com
pares with 1l0sSo00 bales in 1918
and 3. 100000 bales In 1914.
The federal department of agricul-
ture reports that present conditions
indicate winter wheat crop of 4So,-
100000 bushels compared with 4S2.-
coo. 600 bushels last year, 6T4 GEO, o0a
bushels in.l9i5 and a ten-year average
of fS9. 900 .0oo bushels. The present
prospect is Ter a rye crop of go, 600. :
geo bushels ompared with Al 600. 600
bushels last year, $4,000. 900 bushels
in i4I1-and $4,000, 400 bushels. the
average for tire preceding five years.
The federal report on animal health
for the year ending April ! shows an
improvement in the percentages Of
horses and mules, cattle and swine
LOST from disease during the year.
the percentage Of loss in the case OF
swine being nearly one-third less than
far the year ending April I. 1915. In
the report on the condition of animals
6a farms or April /. horses and mules
shaw q J per cent decline IN condi y
tton as compared with A wear ago,
cattle per cent decline sheep over
per cent decline. and swine per
cent Improvement. The final report
on beet sugar shows that $4,000
acres Of sugar beets were harvested
during 1915 compared with si1, 600
acres harvested in 1915 ard an aver
age of $40. 900 acres for the previous
three years From the 1916 crop,
; a21 600 tons Of hects were worked
coma pared with $1,000 a0 tens In 1915
and compared with an average OF