Show FLOUR AND GRAIN The wheat crop of Utah during the year Just closed is estimated by conservative con-servative business men at 1000000 bushels or about threefifths of the yield for 1S9S The quality as well a Che quantity was decreased owing to early and late frosts In several portions of the State particularly in the northern north-ern part Drought in tlc southern part also did much to reduce both quantity and quality S Probably northern Cache valley was the heaviest sufferer onethird of the crop there being damaged by frost In Sanpete county which has lately ben recognized as a worthy rival of Cache county so far as the production of wheat is concerned it is estimated that 15 per cent oc the yield suffered from frost Taking the State as a whole It Is safe to say that 25 per cent Is a conservative conserva-tive estimate of the damage done by frost Frosted wheat of course Is not saleable for milling purposes so It has been sold to feed stock thus largely reducing the price which the farmers expected to receive for It When harvest opened there was about 1000000 bushels of the 189S crop still on hand which added to the amount of good wheat raised the past season would make about 1000000 bushels available for home use and export At this time onehalf of this wheat has been consumed leaving barelv enoutrh wheatto meet the demands until another an-other harvest I During the first half of the year California Cal-ifornia bought about 1000000 bushels of our wheat But Texas became a lively live-ly I bidder and since then but very little of our product has gone west as shippers ship-pers have realized better prices from the Texas market 100000 bushels haying hay-ing been marketed there of late and had it not been for frost and drought which held down our usually heavy harvest many thousands more bushels bush-els would have gone out Texas naturally urally would have been a buyer until the next harvest Utah wheat has come to be n prime favorite in Texas and other Southern points and If I the elements ele-ments prove to be as favorable this year a they have In the past save In 1899 Utahs wheat shipments will be one of Ole marvels of the year The price for wheat this year has been low ranging from 40 cents to 0 cents per bushel originating points Low prices drought and frost mean that Utah farmers are out many thousands thou-sands of dollars the past season Farmers have not been the only sufferers suf-ferers the past year The millers have not fared much better Owing to the sharp competition which existed In the early part of the year very low prices prevailed flour being sold for several months for less than It cost to produce it As the season advanced this condition condi-tion was removed prices taking on a I more healthy tone The market today is very firm at 1G per hundred for high patent 145 for straight grade and 135 for baiters wholesale while tim retail prices are about 15 per cent higher These prices are the same as those ruling one year ago This year like Its predecessor will not show any dividends for mill owners The efforts made during the year to form a Utah State Millers Mutual Fire association such as exist In other States where they have generally bepn successful failed and there IB good reason to believe that the scheme has been abandoned Some small shipments were made to Hongkong and other Oriental points during tho year but they were infln iteslmal compared with what might have been done had It been possible to secure steamer room during the early I part of the year Contracts for heavy shipments in January February and March were made but were canceled owing to the lack of transportation facilities Such Utah flour a has reached Oriental ental points however has given the best oC satisfaction and with the usual good crops this year and a closer cooperation I j co-operation of the railway and other I transportation companies with the shippers ship-pers there Is no reason why flour bearIng bear-Ing Utah brand should not be found in every port In the far East Only a fair crop of oats was harvested har-vested owing to tho same causes as I I ar ted wheat thn yield wild 5 < percent per-cent less than a y o ego j 1 Barley and rye were so badly affected by drouth and front that not more ban half a crop Aar hatustoil |