1882 .] 
AMERICAS" AGRICULTURIST. 
401 
cle.” Finding its worthlessness, Mr. B. would sell 
none of the stuff. He wrote to the “Company,” 
demanding that his money be returned, but can get 
no reply. The “Company” having named the 
Comptroller of Cincinnati as a reference, Mr. Best 
wrote to that officer, Mr. Eshelby, who replied that 
his name was used without his consent; that he has 
received “ stacks of letters, all containing the 
same questions, and I have advised them, as I do 
you, to let Ozone entirely alone. I could recom¬ 
mend its use to nobody.”—Is there no power in 
Cincinnati to shut up this swindling concern, that 
in every package of so-called “ Ozone ” it sells 
is “ obtaining money under false pretenses ? ” 
A Dealer in Manuscripts, 
“S.S.,” Smyrna, Del., gives his experience with “E. 
E.,” in Detroit, Mich. Seeing an advertisement for 
MSS., he sent one to the address. A letter 
informed him that the MS., “ though very good, 
was not perfect,”—who ever saw one that was ? If 
properly revised, it would be worth 825 or 830. 
He had a reviser who would fix it for 83, and he 
would then sell it. The proposition to have the 
revision made, and deduct the cost of so doing 
from the amount received from the sale, was not 
accepted. That 83 was what “ E. E.” wanted, but 
did not get. The trick is an old one, but “E. E.” 
appears to be a new hand at it. 
The Same Old Note Story 
comes this time from Caroline Co., Md., told by 
“H. C.,” who “hopes we will do the farmers a 
favor by warning them, etc. ’ ’ For several years we 
have “ warned ” again and again. One year we had 
in every number a standing warning “ Farmers be 
careful what you sign,” yet to this day swindlers 
find victims among farmers. As this number will 
be seen by thousands who are not regular readers, 
we will oblige “ H. C.,” and others by giving a 
brief account of the manner of operating. The 
agent was from Cleveland, Ohio, and the article was 
“ Double Surface Feed Grinders.” 
The unfortunate farmer, “ E. J. C,” was to sell 
three of these “grinders” worth 880 each, and 
have a fourth for his commission; as in all such 
cases, he was told that they need not be paid for 
until sold. The agent asked him to sign a postal 
card, merely to request the Eagle Machine Works 
to send on the grinders. The machines did not 
come, but a collecting agent did, and the postal 
card turned out to be an agreement to pay for the 
machines whenever the settling agent should call. 
After much difficulty, the agent induced “ E. J. C.” 
to sign a note for the amount, 8231.00. Shortly 
the note was on the market, and to close the mat¬ 
ter the giver of the note paid 8150.00 for it. Mr. 
C. made a great mistake in signing the postal. 
When he found he was defrauded in this, he made 
a worse mistake in giving a note without value re¬ 
ceived. These agents are said to be operating in 
Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, but similar 
swindles have been carried on in various States for 
years. Is there no help for it ? We regret to find 
that our warning is as much needed uow in some 
localities as it was five years ago. 
Farmers, Sign Nothing for a Stranger, 
and do not let a smooth-tongued agent talk you 
into dealing in articles .about which you know 
nothing. This time it is a “ Feed Grinder,” a year 
ortwo ago it was a mower-knife “grinder”; the 
grinding of the money out of the farmer seems to 
be their chief grinding accomplished. 
The “ London Needle Company.” 
The advertisement of this Company was admit¬ 
ted to our columns after an inspection and trial of 
wffiat they claimed to be samples of the needles 
they sent out at a low price. Since we have learned 
that this needle business is mixed up with an 
“Award of Premiums,” w'hieh, with its numbered 
tickets, etc., looks so much like a lottery, we have 
decided not to advertise the concern in the future. 
The circulars of the Company are worded in a most 
careful manner, evidently with a view to avoid the 
law against lotteries. Still they have numbered 
tickets, and are obliged to admit that some numbers 
are “ awarded ” premiums, and that others are not. 
He Did Not Get His King. 
A correspondent in Maine writes us that he sent 
50 cents to a concern in Fulton Street, N. Y., with 
one of their “coupons” for a ring. He received 
a printed notice that his order had been received, 
and the “ goods ” would be sent in a few days. 
Since then he has written twice, and can get 
neither ring nor reply. When parties take unusual 
methods to sell their articles, it is well to be cau¬ 
tious ; all this “coupon” business, which a few 
years ago had such a run iu certain papers, is all 
nonsense. 
He Wants the Names of Ladies, 
and he also wishes to make some pennies. A lady 
on Long Island sends us a circular which came 
from a chap in Vienna, Ga., which asks her to send 
the names of a number of her lady friends, to 
whom he can forward his Catalogue of “ Southern 
Curiosities (now iu press).” To pay (he says “ re¬ 
compense ”) her for the trouble, he “ will send 
two beautiful (dark brown and red) Florida Sea 
Beans and a box of Southern Moss and other curi¬ 
osities. Please enclose in your letter 30 cents in 
postage stamps, to pay postage, etc.” As the 
Beans may be worth two cents, and the “ Southern 
Moss” is worth but a few cents a cart-load, there 
will be a clear profit of at least 25 cents on each 
remittance. Ladies should beware of such appeals. 
What of the Crops and Prices? 
No other question is so puzzling to the mass of 
farmers, as to decide whether to sell at once the 
wheat, corn, oats, etc., which they can spare, or to 
hold on in the hope of higher prices. To no other 
subject do we give so much thought, as to an effort 
to form a fair estimate of the probable future 
range of prices, that we may offer trustworthy 
suggestions to our readers. But never before 
have we been more “at sea ” on this question than 
during the first week of September of the present 
year.—Formerly the range of prices was largely 
governed by the actual aggregate yield here and 
abroad—the relative supply and demand. But dur¬ 
ing two years past a class of speculators, far more 
numerous, and of much greater financial strength 
than ever before, have undertaken to manipulate 
the grain and provision markets. The buying and 
selling on margins have been carried to enormous 
figures. The aggregate sales of corn, wheat, oats, 
pork, bacon, and lard, have many times exceeded 
the entire product of the country. Cliques have 
been formed to buy up the entire available supply, 
and put the prices up or down, as best suited their 
speculations from time to time. By such means 
the great mass of consumers have been compelled 
to pay much higher prices for their daily food than 
should have prevailed, and the natural exports 
have been retarded and greatly curtailed, and much 
injury done to the entire business of the country. 
As some parties have already bought or sold 
largely for delivery, or settlement of margins, for 
all the later months in this year, it is the interest 
of these parties on the one hand to diligently cir¬ 
culate every possible disastrous report as to the 
weather, and the condition of the growing crop. 
Every rain storm, and every fall of the thermometer 
has been a godsend to them, and telegraphed far 
and wide, anything that would sustain prices has 
been money in their pockets. On the other hand, 
a large class, having contracted to deliver, or pay a 
margin on any product, at a stated price, are doing 
their utmost to create the impression that there is 
to be an unprecedented yield. Under such influ¬ 
ences, it is scarcely to be wondered at that from day 
to day there come estimates of a yield of corn vary¬ 
ing all the way from 1,200,000.000 to 2,000,000,000 
bushels, and of wheat from 450,000,000 to 600,000,- 
000 bushels. The present probability is that the 
yield will be a mean between these various high 
and low estimates. If no long-continued storms 
come on to destroy much grain still in the shock in 
the field, there seems a fair probability of our hav¬ 
ing a total wheat yield of 500,000,000 bushels—a 
larger crop than ever grown before. Of the 
1,754,861,535 bushels of corn grown in 1879, ac¬ 
cording to the Census Reports, Illinois produced 
325,792,481 bushels; Iowa, 275,024,247 bushels; 
Missouri, 202,485,723 bushels ; Indiana, 115,482,300 
bushels ; Ohio 111,877,124 ; and Kausas, 105,729,328 
bushels—a total for these six States of 1,136,391,200 
bushels, or nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of the 
entire crop. In this connection we give the Report 
of the Agricultural Bureau on the condition of 
the growing corn for August in 1879 and 1882, as 
follows—100 representing an average crop : 
Illinois... 
1S79. 
. 104 
1SS2. 
59 
Indiana.. 
1S79. 
83 
1S82. 
78 
Iowa. 
. 104 
70 
Ohio. .. 
.. 89 
Missouri. 
. 115 
91 
Kansas... 
.. 114 
109 
This shows a decided decrease of crop for these 
leading States, but a part of it will be made up by 
a larger acreage, and by the present favorable 
weather. Kansas has already secured an enormous 
crop of corn. Missouri is well up toward an aver¬ 
age condition, with a large acreage as iu most of 
the corn-growing States just named above. In 
nearly all the Southern States the acreage and yield 
of corn very far surpass any previous year. If the 
September frosts come late in the Northern belt, 
the probabilities are in favor of a total yield of 
some 1,800,000,000 bushels or more—the largest 
crop ever grown. The hog crop and the supply of 
good beef are largely determined by the corn crop 
and its prices, though the small supply of corn last 
year, and the high prices, greatly diminished the 
number of swine, and there will be fewer to fatten. 
It looks at the present writing (Sept. 6) as if the 
general yield of wheat, corn, and oats will be too 
large to be manipulated by speculators; and the 
same of dairy products. For some weeks past 
there have been numerous reports of bad crops in 
Europe; but the latest intelligence indicates a more 
favorable condition of the harvests iu most foreign 
countries. The present estimate is for a total yield 
in England of 88,000,000 bushels, or 7,000,000 to 
9,000,000 bushels more than was calculated upon 
two or three weeks ago. How far the Egyptian 
war may affect the receipts from that country, 
and from India via the Suez Canal, can only be de¬ 
termined by the progress of the contest. The in¬ 
crease in our population by nearly two million im¬ 
migrants during three years past, in addition to the 
natural increase, will require much more wheat 
and corn for home consumption. 
Tlie Outlook To-day is, that there will be 
an abundance of comparatively cheap food in all 
parts of our own eouutry, and that the foreign de¬ 
mand will be sufficient to absorb the surplus, pro¬ 
vided, always, that mere speculation does not 
maintain too high prices. Probably good or bad 
w T eather, as it affects the ripening corn, and wheat 
still out iu the field, will decide whether prices 
continue at present figures, or rise or fail a little. 
Judging from present indications, we shall look 
for no material change from current rates, though 
the favorable weather still prevailing is tending to 
lower values. The only advice we can give to 
many anxious inquirers is, that it is on the whole 
best to sell when ready, and avoid risk of storage, 
and of lower rates. It hardly pays the average pro¬ 
ducer to speculate upon the future — especially 
when the shrewdest observers among those who 
have immense investments still at stake, are them¬ 
selves in a very uncertain state of mind as to the 
outlook. 
Tlie World’s Harvest.— Just as we close the 
above, we have a cable report from M. Estienne, 
a French Statistician of high authority, who says 
in effect: “Never before in the long time since 
these reports have been collected, has the harvest 
in the whole Northern hemisphere been so good 
all around. We have usually had to report a defi¬ 
ciency either in Europe or America. This year there 
is absolutely none. The ivorld has over an average 
harvest." To this another cable-gram from London 
adds : “ Spain is the only country from which the 
reports are unfavorable.” These reports confirm 
what we had above indicated, that no material ad¬ 
vance iu the price of breadstuffs can be reasonably 
looked for, but it will be a year of abundant food 
at moderate prices, and of general prosperity 
among all classes in all countries. 
