THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 74, 1 February 1879, Page 2

THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

In an article combating' tho .evident, intention of English farms to grow less wheat, tho "MarkLaneExpress"givessome interesting information respecting the important and price of wheat. It says ■:— Statistics show us that the mean price ofwheatoveraseriesof.tho recent yean

is about the same in money value, than it in: the days of protection. This mil continue to be the caso is doubtful, as tho yrheat-growbigarea of tho world keeps on increasing and country . like India, which formally sent us no corn, now, supply us with more than wo really want from them. On the other hand, it ia to be observed, that the. supplies which we at one time received from Russia, aro greatly diminished, and. are not likely to recover, until there is a revival of agricultural pros.p'erity in that country, if even then. Wo do not lay much stress on the fact that a great deal of wheat-growing .land in the United States and our colonies is rapidly becoming exhausted' by constant cropping without manuring, because fresh vergin soil is being cultivated as theold farmed land'gets temporily used up;' besides which, we may,'expect to boo., better agricultural practice prevail onjand thus illused, ■ But there are othdptes in the great problem' which' mTO-not be lost sight of, such as the increasing population of the Unitcd'Statoa and- the Colonies, ana the great impetus given to stock-rearing grazing, by the export trn'de in meat. The price which our American cousins get for wheat sent here this year'can hardly bo remunerative.' This have' been exceptionally favored this .last two seasons in the conditions which go to produce a great crop. In a course of seasons good and bad they could hardly send wheat hereto be.sold at 383 and 40s. per quarter, and would not have to accept such a low price. Of course, if they h&vo a surplus beyond their own requirements, as they are likely to havo riven with a bad crop, tlioy will have to take such a price as they can obtain, whether high or low; but they would not continue to grow wheat to send to us at a loss. While, then, tho probability, is that the prico of -wheat for the next ten year will be on an average lower than it has been for the last ton, it is by.no moans certain that it will bo bo. At any rato British farmor will wait to see what a few .mora years -will bring forth, before they greatly diminish the growth of what has hitherto been with them their most important, because on tho whole their most profitable, cereal.