510 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
The Grain Gamblers Still at Work. 
Until quite recently, a general hope and expecta¬ 
tion prevailed that the large crops of 1882 would 
prove too heavy a load for the gambling specula¬ 
tors in breadstuffs. But unfortunately for the in¬ 
terests of the whole country, such is not the present 
outlook. Take, for example, the condition of the 
Chicago wheat market at the end of September. 
During a few closing days prices were gradually 
worked up, and on the 30th, when September op¬ 
tions terminated, wheat sold at $1.08 per bushel for 
delivery on that day, while it was offered at 93 cents 
and 91 cents for delivery the next day and onward. 
How did this occur? For a long time previous a 
classof speculators known as “shorts ” or “ bears,” 
believing that the improved crops must lower 
prices, had made large sales of “ September wheat,” 
that is wheat to be delivered when called for dur¬ 
ing September, at prices considerably below $1 per 
bushel in Chicago. The purchasers, known as 
“ bulls” or “longs,” took these options and quietly 
bought up nearly all the wheat in store and on the 
way. The “ bears,” when called upon to deliver, 
found little grain available* except as purchased 
from the “bulls,” and the latter run the rates up 
as high as they dared to do, and called in their 
contracts. Of course the sellers had to pay the 
difference between the contract prices and the 
market rates as controlled and fixed by the buyers. 
Reckoning the amount of wheat thus contracted to 
aggregate 10,000,000 bushels, a low estimate, and 
the artificial difference to average 10 cents per 
bushel, the “bulls” received a clean million dol¬ 
lars profit. And this is to go on. Already exten¬ 
sive contracts are made and are daily making for 
future months, counting as far ahead as February, 
and even to May, and embracing an aggregate 
many times larger than the entire surplus that will 
be for sale. As we write, the Chicago quotations 
come by telegraph thus :— 
October Wheat. 944c October Corn.. . .6SJc 
94fc "" 
November Corn.60c 
Year Corn. . ,5fic 
November Wheat 
Year Wheat.93|c 
October Oats.3l|c 
By “year wheat” and corn is meant that the 
sellers can deliver their sales, or call for margins 
at any time during the rest of this year. The above 
quotations show the belief of the bears that there 
will be times before the close of the year when 
prices will range enough below 93Je. for wheat, and 
541c. for corn, to enable them to realize a good 
profit, while the buyers calculate on the manipu¬ 
lation of accessible supplies, and manufacturing 
reports, so as to keep prices above these figures 
until December 31st is passed. 
Bad. Effects of the Wheat Speculation of 
1881 - 2 . 
Very great harm has been done to this country 
by the gambling speculators in the grain crop of 
1881, and the evil effects are likely to continue 
during many future years. We were fast coming 
to be the constant and chief feeder of Great Brit¬ 
ain, and, at frequent intervals, of other parts of 
Western Europe. England, with her limited home 
territory, and her teeming manufacturing popula¬ 
tion, never produces anywhere near as much bread- 
stuffs as her people consume, notwithstanding the 
fact that by thorough tillage, high cultivation, and 
the use of abundaut fertilizers, her wheat crop av¬ 
erages 28 to 29 bushels per acre, or more than 
double the average yield of this country. The 
great improvements in transportation facilities 
from our grain regions to and across the Atlantic, 
enables us to successfully compete with the produc¬ 
ers of Southeastern Europe, and other more dis¬ 
tant points formerly largely relied upon. This 
would doubtless have continued had prices been 
governed by the relative supply and demand. 
But taking advantage of the short crops of 1881, 
a class of speculators here bought and controlled 
our surplus, and put up prices so high that English 
dealers could not take our wheat. They therefore 
begau canvassing every other available source. 
The high rates enabled foreign dealers to gather 
many million bushels in India, and to not only 
glean large quantities from localities hitherto con¬ 
sidered inaccessible, but also to make drafts upoh 
the “ reserves ” usually stored there against tem¬ 
porary drouths, or occasional 6liort crops from 
other causes. These supplies were brought from 
remote points, not only in India, but in Australia, 
and elsewhere, and laid down in Great Britain at 
lower rates than they could be taken from the 
grasp of the speculators who held our American 
exportable stocks, even when ocean freights 
amounted to only a very few cents per bushel. 
The result is, that all these foreign lands have 
been stimulated to very greatly enlarge their wheat 
production, and with cheaper labor to offset the 
longer carriage, they will hereafter supply a very 
large percentage of the breadstuffs which would 
otherwise be taken from this country. So our 
wheat growers can not indulge any reasonable hope 
of realizing high prices hereafter, except now and 
then, in years likely to be far apart, when there 
may be a chance, general failure of crops through¬ 
out all the rest of the world. It would have been 
an immense gain to our farmers in the long run, if 
they had subscribed ten, twenty, or fifty million 
dollars, presented the sum to the speculators, and 
sent them into retirement. But the evil has been 
done and there is no help for it. It will be worth 
while for the next legislatures of the various States 
to try to devise some laws that will effectually 
squelch all gambling in breadstuffs carried on by 
dealing in “ margins.” 
The Oyster-shell Louse on a Willow. 
“ C. H. B.” sends us from Southport, Conn., a 
twig of Kilmarnock Willow, more completely cov¬ 
ered with the Oyster-shell Bark-louse than any ap¬ 
ple twig we ever saw. We have in former numbers 
figured this scale-louse, which might have been 
more appropriately named “Mussel-shell,” as its 
scales are more like mussel-shells, than those of 
the oyster. These scales, at the present season, 
cover only eggs and the remains of the female 
louse. Next spring, when growth begins, these 
eggs will hatch, and the minute and active lice will 
make their way to the young shoots, anchor them¬ 
selves by the beak, and soon form a scale-like cov¬ 
ering similar to that of the parent. They can only 
be attacked in the lively state during a few days, 
and at this time they are so small that they escape 
notice. Sometime ago we published an account 
from one who found a pear tree infested by these 
scales. Painters were at work upon his house at 
the time, and in a sort of desperate freak, he took 
a brush and painted the tree, as he said, “ from 
stem to stern.” Next spring, to his surprise, it 
came out all right and flourished. We have also 
given an account by one who, having some young 
apple trees badly infested by these shell-lice, painted 
them over with crude petroleum and perfectly re¬ 
stored the trees. A tree so completely covered as 
this specimen would indicate, can not live—indeed 
our correspondent 6ays that one of her kilmarnocks 
has died already. We should try crude petroleum. 
By this we mean the natural oil as it flows from the 
wells, and by no means any of those liquids called 
petroleum oils, which are dangerous compounds. 
The application to the tree may cure, but it may 
kill, but the result will be the same, as the insect 
is likely to destroy the tree, if unmolested. 
American Apples in England —The first import¬ 
ant sale of American Apples took place in Liver¬ 
pool, on September 21st, when 1,648 barrels were 
sold. The prices ranged from 16s. to 27s. 6d. per 
barrel. The Messrs. Houghton & Co. inform us 
that the demand is likely to continue, and fair 
prices to be maintained, so long as the arrivals are 
moderate. In former years, when the fruit brought 
a little more than the price at home (transportation 
added), every kind of trash was shipped, without 
regard to variety or condition, and the market 
glutted with unsalable fruit. At the date referred to 
the arrivals had been 3,086 barrels against 16,236 to 
the same date in 1880, a year which apparently 
taught shippers caution. This season the apples 
from the States have arrived in better order than 
those from Canada, which is the reverse of former 
years. The two varieties which brought the high¬ 
est prices were “ Red Pippins” and “ Ramshorns,” 
which sold for 3s. to 5s. per barrel more than Bald¬ 
wins and Greenings. It would appear that varieties 
are labelled to suit the market, as neither of these 
is an accepted name among our fruit authorities. 
“ Red Pippins ” is a synonym for four different va¬ 
rieties, including “Ben Davis,” which is most 
likely to be the one sent abroad. “ Ramshorn ” 
was the name of a fruit so poor that it went out of 
use long ago. It is difficult to conjecture to what 
variety it is now given, but it must be some good 
and well-known one, as it sold for $1 or more 
higher than apples regarded here as among the best. 
Look to the Labels. 
When trees are taken up in the nursery the labels 
are hurriedly wired on, and usually very tightly so 
that they may not be lost. These tags are only to 
allow the purchaser to identify the trees until he 
has planted them, and are not intended to be per¬ 
manent. If such labels are left as they were at¬ 
tached, at the first increase in the diameter of the 
branch a strangulation will take place, and if the 
wire is a strong one, the bark will be completely 
cut through to the great injury of the tree. We 
have shown that in an orchard no labels are really 
needed ; if a proper record is made the variety may 
be known by its position. But many like to know 
about a tree at once, and prefer to have a label for 
ready reference, even if they have a record besides,, 
and on scattered trees or those grafted with more 
than one variety, a label is convenient. It is best 
to avoid wooden tags altogether, at least if put on 
with wires. No matter how loose the wires may 
be, 6ome of them will become imbedded in the 
bark before it is noticed. Very cheap, durable and 
safe labels may be made of sheet zinc or thin sheet- 
tin. Cut the metal in the shape of a long wedge,, 
from a quarter to half an inch wide at one end, 
running to a point at the other, and from 6 to 
10 inches long. Write the name near the large end, 
upon zinc with a common lead-pencil, or upon tin 
with an awl or other sharp point, scratching 
through the thin coating of tin to the iron be¬ 
neath. These may be attached by coiling the small 
end loosely around a small twig. Another way of 
attaching the zinc strip is to punch a small hole 
midway of its length, and having it placed over a 
twig like a loop, pass the small end through the 
hole and secure it by a twist. If trees were planted 
last spring or this autumn with the nursery labels 
still attached, no time should be lost in removing 
them and either replacing them by others, or trust 
solely to the record. 
More About Spiced Pickles.— A Canadian corres¬ 
pondent w'rites us that the recipe we gave in Sept, 
last, “does not appear to be very spicy,” hence 
one is sent “ known to be used by many families.” 
It is as follows : Bruised Ginger, Ground Mustard, 
Salt, of each 4 oz.; Turmeric (ground) 1% oz.; Black 
Pepper (ground) 1 oz.; Cayenne I oz.; Mustard 
Seed (whole) 2 oz.; Vinegar, one gallon; mix the 
spices with a little of the vinegar, then put alL 
together in a stone pot and allow it to stand for a 
few days, stirring occasionally. “All that is neces¬ 
sary to do with the vegetables to be pickled, is to 
wipe them and put them into the pot from time to 
time as gathered. The pickles will be ready for 
use in about six or eight months.” He addst 
“ The only drawback is, that the pickles can not be 
used for some months, but those who use it, make 
up their supply accordingly.” So much for our 
Canada friend, and in return for his recipe we sug¬ 
gest that he make his vegetables ready, place those 
used whole in brine, let those used sliced or 
chopped be sprinkled with salt, and leave them for 
a few days; omit the salt from the spiced vinegar, 
and having drained the vegetables let them be 
placed in a jar, and the heated, spiced vinegar 
poured over them ; they will be ready for use in six 
or eight days, instead of as many months. 
