13 
partly on accotint of the continued stringency in the money market. 
The greatest decline is found in the trans-Mississippi regions. Iowa 
falls from 43 cents per bushel to 27; Missouri from 74 to 28; Kansas 
from 91 to 23; Nebraska from 73 to 20. This is easily explained by the 
destruction of the crop of 1874 by grasshoppers in this region and by 
the abundant crops of 1875. In New England it is noticeable that the 
decline is least near the commercial centers and greatest in the agricul- 
tural districts. Rhode Island, almost overshadowed by its industrial 
metropolis, Providence, falls off but 8 cents per bushel from last year; 
Massachusetts, with a greater proportion of farming-land, declines 15 
cents; while in Maine, more exclusively agricultural, the fall amounts 
to 27 cents. This is observable to a small extent in the Middle States, 
but in the South Atlantic States the case is reversed. Maryland, with 
its small area around Baltimore, falls off 18 cents, while Georgia declines 
but 6 cents, and South Carolina holds her own. In the Gulf States, 
Mississippi, which has made the greatest increase of yield, exhibits the 
greatest decline, 18 cents. In Arkansas there is a great decline, 45 cents, 
as also in Tennessee, 27 cents. Kentucky falls off 14 cents, while West 
Virginia loses only 5. North of the Ohio River the fall is greatest in 
the southern sections, the average decline in Michigan being but 4 cents, 
while in Illinois it was 22 cents. On the Pacific coast, Oregon has fallen 
off 3 cents, while California has gained 9 cents. 
The comparative prices of corn on the farm, on the 1st of December, 
for the last four years, in the leading corn States were as follows: 
| 1873. 1874. | 1875. States. 1872. | 1873. | 1874. | 1875. 
States. 1872. 
> 
Pennsylvania .......-... $0 60 |$0 60 |$0 76 |$0 58 || Ohio....... .-.-...-.-.- $0 34 |$0 42 $0 58 | $0 
North Carolina .:........ 62 64 72 602|/pIndiana Sel ssisi- oe. 29 40 51 
Eerie Aes 2 oS ak 43 80 75 83.4) Tlinois:= sen ete ae sone 24 32 
Tennessee. ........-..... 48 58 68 41 W Towalsct eerecnctcoces. 18 31 
LG Ea (ee ae Cee ee 37 44 55 41 || Missouri ....--...-----. 32 38 
WHEAT.—The South Atlantic and Galf States, from North Carolina 
to Texas, with Arkansas and Tennessee, report lower prices for wheat 
on the farm, while all the other States indicate an increase. In the 
South this crop is grown only for home consumption, and during the 
past few years its acreage has considerably increased, and its product 
bears a larger proportion to local demand. In other parts of the country, 
where this crop is raised for general market, the problem of prices has 
_ been affected by influences of broader scope. The prices of 1874 were 
greatly reduced from the preceding year by the large crops of Europe, 
which limited the demand for American wheat;- but the yields in 
Europe during 1875 were not so great, and our own crop was short- 
ened by various disasters in different parts of the country. The result 
of these varied influences has been a general increase of price for wheat 
on the farm. In New England ‘the increase ranged from 8 cents per 
bushel in Massachusetts to 12 in Vermont and Connecticut; in the 
Middle States, from 5 cents in New York to 9 cents in Delaware; Mary- 
land increased 5 cents, and Virginia 4. West of the Alleghanies, West 
Virginia shows the greatest increase of all the States—38 cents. Ken- 
tucky and the States north of the Ohio River range from 3 cents in In- 
diana to 8 cents in Wisconsin; west of the Mississippi the increase 
varies from 3 cents in Kansas to 16 cents in Minnesota; on the Pacific 
coast the average price has advanced 19 cents in California and Oregon. 
The variations of the last few years may be seen from the following 
