1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



417 



THE WHEAT DROP OF 1859. 



The following article upon the wheat crop of 

 the present year is from the Metropolitan Bank 

 J^ote Reporter of New York. It seems to be 

 carefully considered, and as an estimate of the 

 crops, based upon apparently reliable informa- 

 tion, is worthy of attention : 



Tfie Wheat Crops. — The wheat crop has gener- 

 ally been harvested throughout the country, and 

 sufficient is known to make a careful estimate of 

 this important staple, interesting for present con- 

 sideration and important for future reference. 



The last official return of the whole wheat crop 

 is from the Patent Office returns of lS5o. Using 

 this as a basis, and getting the increase in pro- 

 duction from a comparison with the former Re- 

 ports of the Patent Office, and by the actual in- 

 vestigations made by several of the States, par- 

 ticularly Ohio, we have the means of obtaining 

 approximately from the average amount of land 

 in cultivation for this crop, the yield for this and 

 other years. In this connection it may be re- 

 marked that it is found that the average amount 

 of land does not fluctuate like the yield per acre, 

 but like mortality, is governed by certain laws. 

 The average yield per acre every year is only to 

 be found by carefully examining the reports from 

 different parts of the country, etc. With labor 

 we have collected the returns for this year, and 

 give them below in comparison with the returns 

 miade out last year for 1857 and 1858, and which 

 we have had no occasion to change. 



The production of wheat in the several States 

 for 1858 and 1859 may be stated as follows : 



State. 



WHEAT. 

 185T. 

 BuBhels. 



New York 22,000,000 



PeDnsylvania 20,000,000 



Virginia and North 



Carolina 20.000,000 



Kentucky 10,000,000 



Ohio 2.5,000,000 



Indiana 15,000,000 



Illinois 18 ,000,000 



Other States 50.000,000 



1F.58. 

 Bushels. 

 20,000,000 

 20,C00,C00 



18,500,000 

 8,500,000 

 22,000,000 

 13,000,000 

 14 500 000 

 42,000,000 



1859. 

 Busheb. 

 22,000,000 

 25,000,000 



20,000,000 

 11,000 000 

 26,000,000 

 17,000,000 

 20,000,000 

 60,000,000 



180,000,000 158,500,000 201,000,000 



The production in the Western States, which 

 have the largest surplus for export, is shown by 

 the following figures : 



WHKAT. 



State. 



1858. 

 Bushels. 



1859. 

 Bushels. 



1857. 

 Bushels. 



Kentucky 10,000,000 8,500,000 11,000,000 



Ohio 25,000,000 22,000,000 26,000,000 



Indiana 15,000,000 13,000,000 17,000,000 



lUinois 18,000,000 14.500,000 20,000,000 



Total 68,000,000 58,000,000 74 000,000 



The surplus for the present year in these States 

 may be estimated as follows : 



Bushels. 



Crop 1859 74,COO,000 



Consumption 5 bushels per head 36,000,000 



Surplus crop 1859 3S,000,000 



It is estimated that in addition to this, from 

 one-sixth to one-fifth of the surplus crop of 1858 

 is yet in the hands of the producers. We there- 

 fore have in the States, estimating last year's 

 surplus crop of the West at twenty-four millions 

 of bushels, as the gross surplus : 



Buehela. 



Crop of 1859 38,000,000 



Sixteen two-thirds per cent, on 1868 4,000,000 



Total for export 42,000,000 



The transportation of this at forty cents per 

 bushel will give nearly seventeen millions of dol- 

 lars to our canals and railroads. 



It will probably be thought by many that this 

 estimate of two hundred and one millions of 

 bushels is a large one for the present wheat crop, 

 but we think not. In 1855 the Patent Office re- 

 turns gave the wheat crop at one hundred and 

 sixty-five millions of bushels; and it is consid- 

 ered as not a large return for that year. In 1855 

 California was put down as producing only twen- 

 ty thousand bushels ; last year it produced over 

 four millions ; and this year probably five mil- 

 lions. In 1855 Kentucky produced only five mil- 

 lions of bushels ; it now produces eleven mil- 

 lions. Tennes.see has been, except for home con- 

 sumption, a wheat growing State only since the 

 opening of the Memphis and Charleston Rail- 

 road ; but now its wheat ranks in quality second 

 to that of no other State. The New England 

 States have decreased in their production, but 

 the West has increased four to one. The amount 

 of land under wheat cultivation this year is thir- 

 ty-three per cent, greater than in 1855, and the 

 decrease per acre in the production cannot be 

 greater. 



It should be remembered that the reports of 

 the failure or excess of a crop are almost invari- 

 ably exaggerated. It has been found that un- 

 less a total apparent failure takes place, the dif- 

 ference between two crops rarely exceeds forty 

 per cent., or between a small crop and an aver- 

 age one, twenty per cent. 



The wheat crop in the several States may be 

 considered as harvested and partially ready for 

 market. We can, tlierefore, give the following 

 returns with some degree of certainty: 



In New England the area was not larger than 

 in former years, and the crop is not harvested, 

 but promises, by its superior quality, a return 

 equal, perhaps, to any previous year. In New 

 York the crop is generally excellent, but in some 

 few counties complaint is made. In Pennsylva- 

 nia and New Jersey the breadth of land and the 

 yield per acre have never before been as great. 

 In Virginia and North Carolina the quality is 

 superior, the land sown rather above the average, 

 and the yield fully ton per cent, over an average 

 and good crop. Tennessee and Kentucky have 

 largely increased their breadth of land sown, and 

 the yield per acre is above the average, while the 

 quality of grain will make their wheat, as in for- 

 mer years, the best in market. In Ohio, the 

 Secretary of the Board of Statistics has pre- 

 pared careful returns of the wheat crop in that 

 State, and estimates the yield at over 25,000,000 

 of bushels, showing that notwithstanding the 

 frost, which was more severe in that State than 

 any other, the yield will be larger than ever be- 

 fore by fifteen per cent. In Indiana the same 

 features exist as in Ohio, with perhaps less loss 

 by frost. In Illinois there has been some com- 

 plaint about the spring wheat, and of all crops 

 in some of the northern counties, but, notwith- 

 standing, the yield will be thirty per cent, great- 

 er than ever before. In Iowa there is no com- 



