8 



caused heavy shipments throughout 1874, up to September, mainly from 

 our crop of 1873, which will aid in swelling our aggregate for the fiscal 

 year ending June 30, 1874. The abundant harvests abroad in 1874 

 have caused this decline, which will probably go no further unless a 

 prospect of heavy European production in 1875 should receive general 

 credence. 



The following statement of prices in several prominent wheat-growing 

 States, since 18G9, will fairly illustrate the range of local prices in those 

 years. 



states. 



Ohio 



Michigan . 

 Indiana . . . 

 Illinois . . . 

 Wisconsin 

 Minnesota 



Iowa 



Missouri.. 

 Kansas ... 

 Nebraska . 



1874. 



$1 04 

 1 08 

 94 

 86 

 83 

 70 

 65 

 83 

 84 

 60 



|1 31 



1 35 



1 22 



1 10 



97 



80 



79 



1 13 



1 00 



75 



1872. 



|1 42 



1 46 



1 32 



1 23 



1 03 



83 



85 



1 41 



1 42 



78 



1871. 



$1 26 

 1 32 

 1 26 

 1 18 

 1 11 

 1 00 



96 

 1 16 

 1 13 



90 



1870. 



|1 09 

 1 08 

 1 00 

 94 

 90 

 83 

 78 

 91 

 86 

 64 



1869. 



$1 03 

 97 

 93 

 76 

 68 

 59 

 52 

 80 

 79 

 51- 



As the smallest crop of corn and the highest prices are seen in 1869 

 and 1874, so the largest product of wheat and the lowest prices occur 

 in the same years. In the above statement of ten prominent wheat- 

 growing States, the prices for each State in these years are lower, with- 

 out a single exception, than in any intervening year. Those of 1872 are 

 the highest, and, in the winter- wheat States, the next highest prices 

 are in 1873, and, in the spring-wheat States, in 1871. A large yield 

 was obtained in 1873, but the continued foreign deficiency sustained 

 prices, so that the import of United States wheat in that year cost $3.26 

 per cwt. in gold, against $3.25, the cost of the previous year's importa- 

 tion ; but the imports of 1864 cost only $3.07, being mainly from the 

 crop of 1873. 



COMPARATIVE NUMBERS AND PRICES OF FARM-ANIMALS. 



Numbers.— A slight increase of horses is reported in most of the 

 States, largest in Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri, and Wisconsin. In 

 mules, the largest ratio of increase has been made in the following 

 States, in the order named : Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, 

 Kansas. In milch cows the increase has been larger than in other 

 kinds of neat stock. In Minnesota an increase of 13 per cent, is re- 

 ported, and in Nebraska 8 per cent. This tendency is strong in Maine 

 and Connecticut, where the dairy interest is a growing branch of agri- 

 culture, the reported advance being 6 per cent. In Wisconsin the in- 

 crease is 5 per cent.; 4 per cent, in New York, Iowa, California, and 

 Oregon. In other bovine stock, oxen and other cattle, a decrease is 

 reported in all States except Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecti- 

 cut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Carolina, Ohio, Indi- 

 ana, Minnesota, Iowa, and Oregon. Texas is reported at 98 per cent. 

 In Kansas and Nebraska many animals have been sold at any available 

 price, from want of feed to winter them. There is some increase in 

 sheep in the New England States, in Texas and Arkansas in the south- 

 west, in Wisconsin and Minnesota in the northwest, and on the Pacific 

 coast. The largest decline has been in swine, in which nearly every 

 State has participated. The aggregate percentages of the farm-stock 

 of last year, as reported by statistical correspondents on the 1st of Jan- 



