Year: 1861

Corn Crop "iSee7e ats best days


How to produce 1t at less expense.


With the present and prospective
price of corn we are under the nee
cessity of considering whether we can
continue to grow this staple, to be
shipped in its raw state, or to state the
case more plain, can we-afford to ship
corn as at present, or must We be-con-
fined to the amount that we car put
into beef and pork, or use otherwise
on the farm. During the year 1860
there was received at Chicago alone
fifteen and half millions of bushels
of crn, and since the first Of Novem-
Der of the new crop nearly nine mil
lions of bushels and this is but
small part of what has gone into Mis-.
souri,, Kansas, south by the way of
Cairo and east by the various railroads.
1t will therefore be seen that an ag
gregate of over twenty millions of
bushels of the crop of 1860 has gone
forward, producing to the farmer an
average price of say twenty cents
bushel at the depot in the car, or an
amount in round numbers of four mil
lions of dollars. It is true this price,
on the average, has not more than paid
the coat of production f; and now with
the average price reduced one half we
may well feel staggered at the pros
pect.


Most people charge this condition
Of things on the present hostile state
Of the country, but we judge this has
less to do with it than many suppose.
We think there is amore serious diff
Guilty in the way, and one that viii re-
main after the country is again at
peace. IT is now evident that the
South was preparing for this condition
of things when they purchased so
heavily last winter, and now the stock
of corn is so abundant at Memphis
and at New Orleans that sixteen cents
would be all that could be paid for it
here, to make it nett the present rates
South. The railroad rates have, it is
tue, enhanced the price to the Allan
tic seaboard towns, but otherwise the
price of corn is high at the South.
Under present circumstances corn will
not pay at less than twenty cents the
nett cost of its production it is there
fore evident that at that price it will
cease to be favorite crop for ship
ment. On the four million dollars re-
ceiYed for corn, to the demise Of
"stumptail' there must have been a
loss of at least a million of dollars,
while at ihe present rates on that to
90 forward there must be loss of
over two millions more. The two sums
will doubtless sink all the profit to the
farmer on beef and pork made from
thelast corn crop. On the whole, the
immense crop of corn for the year
1860: will no more than pay the ex-
pense of its production and harvesting
so far as the farmer is concerned. The
railroads have been extensively bene-
fitted as well as the commission men,
while the corn merchant and banker
have suffered loss. Many of our county
banks have gone under, loaded down
with corn, or the notes of corn deal
ers. Some of this is loss direct be-
tween the price paid and that at which
it was sold, and part by Withholding
the funds by southern correspondents.
Another evil that the corn trade begat
was the purchase of stocks to extend
the banking facilities, under the speci-
Gus plea that more money was needed
to move the crop. This, then, is the
true position of the crop eff 1860, to
sum up-an immense crop barely pay
ing its cost to the producer. Now if
this is the case under such favorable
circumstances, to which we should
have added that the pork market was
bare, that the supplies at the South
were exhausted. requiring large
extra amount to supply them, and
which in great part was obtained
before the blockade, We mSy well
enquire what will be the case with the
crnp of 1851, which though much less,
vet promises to be more than an aver
ace one. 1t is certainly no object to
grow corn at less than twenty five
cents delivered at the depot, or say
forty cents in Chicago, unless by i'm :
provement in culture its cost can be
reduced. This, we think, is capable
of accomplishment, and that five cents
may be safely counted upon. This
will put it at thirty-fve cents in
Chicago, price which we venture to
say is the lowest that viii permit of its
profitable production, and one that
will bring to market any large amount
of this important staple. We do not
meau to say by this that the culture Of


corn will not continue a profitable


branch of farming, for there are other
uses to which this crop is put, besides


shipping in bulk, and that so long as


beef and pork are used, 50 long will


corn continue the most profitable feed
! to make them, and III many parts OF
r the country it viii continue the staple
feed for farm teams. To supply these