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consumption of 3 1-2 bushels per head is 

 what apparently took place, deducting from 

 the crop, as per census, the known quantity 

 exported and the estimate reqnired for seed. 

 It is no doubt the case that this ratio is 

 diminished in dear years and increased in 

 cheap years. From estimates for 1856 we 

 placed the aggregate export in face of the 

 great wants of England and France as high 

 as 30,000,000 bushels, out of an estimated 

 crop of 140,317,000 bushels. The fact 

 turned out to be an export of 25,708,000 

 bushels, per official figures, accompanied, 

 however, by "a fall in prices, which indicated 

 that the crop was as large as the estimate. 

 For 1857, year ending June 30, we esti- 

 mated the exports at 30,000,000; they thus 

 far figure for 27,000,000 bushels, and prices 

 have fallen. Thus, the export has been 

 large whil^ the high prices and extent of 

 land put under plough have caused a greater 

 demand for seed wheat, nevertheless prices 

 have largely fallen. The crops abroad now 

 promise well, and prices in both France and 

 England have fallea to very low points. 

 In Great Britain wheat is 50 cents per 

 bushel lower than at the same time last 

 year. The export will, therefore, in all 

 probability be smaller, even although prices 

 and freights may be lower in face of large 

 crops. These are circumstances which, with 

 the probably abundant heavy crops indicate 

 a return to moderate prices for food and raw 

 materials, promotive to a consequent restor- 

 ation of business activity in the commercial 

 and manufacturing districts. 



The Wheat Crop and the Railroads. — 

 The Cincinnati Railroad Record, concludes 

 an article on this subject, with the following 

 remarks, which are of interest as furnishing 

 a tolerably just estimate of the coming crop 

 of wheat in the west — the amount of con- 

 sumption here, the probable amount of sur- 

 plus, and the benefits which will accrue to 

 the railroads in the transportation of ^hat 

 surplus: 



1st. The wheat crop will be much greater 

 than usual, unless the rust, the last enemy 

 of wheat, should cut it off'. We have ac- 

 counts from every portion of the northwest, 

 which agree in two facts — that generally 

 the wheat crop promises a most abundant 

 harvest, and that in some districts there is 

 an apparent failure, but that is much more 

 than made up by the greater breadth of 

 land sown. The conclusion from these facts 

 is, that the whole crop will be a large one. 



2d. The oat crops and the hay crops will 



be good; for, without a Providential mis- 

 fortune, there is nothing to injure them; 

 and the grass has never appeared better. 



On the whole, the late spring has proved 

 advantageous; for it has kept back the 

 plants till they cannot be injured by frosts 

 or severe weather. Besides this, the heavy 

 snow3 and spring rains have brought the 

 ground into a very mellow and good con- 

 dition. Looking, then, at all the existent 

 facts, we cannot avoid anticipating good 

 crops. We except, of course, those extra- 

 ordinary Providential events, which may in- 

 terfere with the current course of events. 



Supposing the crops to be as good as we 

 anticipate, the following will be something 

 like the difference produced by the increase 

 of crops. The estimate is made by a com- 

 parison of all the facts within our know- 

 ledge: 



Wheat crop of 1856. Wheat crop of 1857 est*- 



No. bns. mated. — No. bus. 



Ohio ^6,000,000 22,000,000 



Indiana 7,000,000 9,000,000 



niinois .10,000,000 12,000,000 



Michigan — ... 4,000,000 4,600,000 



Wisconsit. 4,000,000 6,000,000 



Iowa 8,000,000 3,500,000 



Aggregate.....44,000,000 57,000,000 



Number of inhabitants , » 6,600,000 



Consumption at 5bu8h- per head 32,500,000 



Surplus of 1856 11,500,000 



Surplus ofl857, at an increase of 10 per cent, for con- 

 sumption 21,260,000 



It will be seen in our estimate, that while 

 the crop increases 30 per cent., the anrplus 

 increases 100 per cent. The consumption 

 we have placed at a low rate. We doubt 

 whether the northwest has really sent out 

 11,500,000 bushels of wheat, of the crop 

 of 1856. 



If the crop of 1857 yields a surplus of 

 21,000,000 bushels of wheat, the railroads 

 of the northwest will increase their receipts 

 for that single article full two millions of 

 dollars. This will be done, too, at an in- 

 creased expense of not exceeding 10 per 

 cent, on that amount. For the locomotives 

 will not be increased, and probably not the 

 cars, or the repairs of the roads. The in- 

 crease of fuel and oil will be the principal 

 increases of expense. 



We give this estimate as an example of 

 the influence of good crops on the roads of 

 the northwest. Should the corn crop be a 

 good one, of which scarcely anything can 

 now be known, the aggregate in the profits 

 of railroads, this year, will be sereral mil- 

 lions of dollars. Thus the prospect now 

 is, that this will be a very good year for 

 railroad business. ./ • 



B^'Thalberg and Strakoscli have returned 

 to New York from their "Western and Canadian 

 tour, having cleared some $20,000, it is said by 

 their performances. 



