Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1879 — CROPS AND PRICES. [ARTICLE]

CROPS AND PRICES.

Some Statistics of Interest to Farmers and Stock-Growers. The Commissioner of Agriculture at Washington has issued a pamphlet on the condition of the crops. The following are extracts: Corn. —The crop of corn of 1877 was the largest ever raised in this country up to that date, having been 1,342,000,000 bushels, valued at $480,643,000. The crop of 1878 exceeded it in bushels, but the over-production brought the price much lower, and the crop, which was 1,371,000,000 bushels, is only valued at $436,800,000. The lowest State averages are in lowa and Nebraska, both of which States increased their products very largely, too great for home consumption, and too remote from leading markets; the price has fallen to about one-half what it was in 1876. The States showing the highest average price are the Gulf States, from Georgia to Texas, where the consumption fully equals the crop, and where the prices are less than those of last year. The price per bushel, returned December, 1878, was 31.9; in 1877, 35.8 cents. Wheat.— The average price of wheat for the year 1876 was $1.04 per bushel; for the year 1877, stimulated by war in Europe, the increased crop was worth $1.08; but for the year 1878, an increase of upward of 50,000,000 bushels, the price had fallen to 78 cents per bushel, on Dec. 1, 1878. The crop of 1878, which amounts to 422,000,000 bushels, is worth only $329,000,000; while the crop of 1877, which was 365,000,000 bushels, was worth $394,000,000. Prices of Wheat Abroad. — In the case of wheat, the price is greatly influenced by the European demand. For the year ending June 30, 1878, it was found that we exported 92,000,000 bushels of wheat (flour included), about 25 per cent of our whole crop. From estimates published by the Board of Trade and the Mark Lane Express, of England, it is estimated that the supply of England will be short 13,000,000 quarters, equal to 107,000,000 bushels, leaving that amount to import. Last year the amount imported was 15,000,000 quarters, or 123,000,000 bushels. This supply was mainly drawn from the United States and will be so this year. From estimates in France, published in the Bulletin des Halles, the wheatcrop of 1878 is placed at 82,500,000 hectoliters, or 230,000,000 bushels, being 20,000,000 hectoliters, or 56,000,000 bushels, less than that of 1877, which was a poor crop. The amount imported into France in 1877-’7B was 22,000,000; the amount needed this year must approximate 70,000,000 bushels. The same bulletin, estimating the sources of supply abroad, says: “The utmost surplus from Russia for export will be 50,000,000 bushels; from Hungary, 17,000,000; and the only other source of supply of any importance is the United States.” Prices of Wheat for Five Years The following statement of prices in some of the prominent wheat-growing States since 1874 will fairly illustrate the range of prices in those years: States. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. Ohio $1.04 sl.o*l $1.14 $1.21 $0.86 Michigan 1.08 1.15 1.16 1.23 85 Indiana 94 97 1.02 1.13 81 Illinois 86 91 93 1.04 75 Wisconsin 83 91 1.01 93 67 Minnesota 70 86 90 91 51 lowa 65 71 90 87 50 Missouri 83 95 89 1.00 67 Kansas B'4 87 86 82 69 Nebraska 60 64 73 63 49 Potatoes.— Frem returns made in December, 1878, we find the average price of potatoes to be 58.8 cents per bushel. With a crop almost identical with that of 1876, we have a price much lower per bushel, and a total value of $10,000,000 less than that year. "With a crop some 46,000,000 bushels less than last year, the total value does not equal that of the excessive yield of 1877. The following is a table of product, price per bushel, and total value for the last four years: Price Per Year. Product. Bushel. Value. 1875 166.876,900 '88.9 $65,019,900 1876 124.800,000 65.5 83,860,000 1877 170.(19-2.(00 44.8 76,249,<100 1878 124,027,(00 54.8 73,(00,000 How a Big Estate Was Divided by Lot. Mention was. made recently of the lottery scheme for the partition of lands between heirs, and it was supposed that the division of the Bailey estate was made in this way for the first time in this State. It appears, however, that one of the largest estates in Missouri was partitioned in 1863-4, under the direction of Mr. Britton A. Hill, counselor for the estate of Peter Lindell, the real estate whereof was valued at about $6,000,000. There were ten heirs, each one being entitled to onetenth of the whole estate. By virtue of a contract executed for that purpose between the heirs, the city and country lots, comprising the whole estate, were accurately surveyed, numbered and platted by W. H. Cozzens, Esq., and each lot was appraised by Commissioners Charles K. Dickson, James T. Sweringen and Charles H. Peck. They then divided the lots into ten equal shares, and each share was bound with its plats and streets and descriptive calls. On the day of the allotment in 1864, the heirs met in the unfinished room in the second story at the southeast corner of the first Lindell Hotel. The ten numbers of the shares were written on the respective shares from one to ten by the counselor, the ten numbers were written on ten square pieces of paper and placed in a hat; the names of the ten heirs were written on ten other square pieces of paper and placed in another hat. Neither one of the heirs knew the contents of either one of the bound volumes containing the several shares. When all was ready, a crippled boy beggar, passing on Washington avenue, was called in, blindfolded under protest, and directed to draw one paper from each hat, thus designating the name of the heir and the number of the share, and to con* tinue until the drawing of lots was completed. The blindfolded boy was released, and bright tears glistened in his eyes as ten golden half-eagles were dropped into his hand, and he was told that he had completed the division of the great Lindell estate to the satisfaction of all the heirs then present.— St. Louis Globe Democrat.