Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 61.djvu/449

Rh trade reports were consequently more cheerful from southern cities. An abundance of forage supplies was now certain. The western farmers regained courage; the rush of cattle and hogs to market stopped. The pressure in this line being removed, many of the cattle which had been sent to market were not slaughtered, but were kept to be fattened. Hence a great accumulation of skins was no longer expected. The most unfavorable trade reports naturally came from the central west and southwest, where the loss from drought had been greatest. Kansas City, however, reported that anxiety had been followed by 'a feeling of relief and hopefulness.' Cancellations stopped, as country merchants took new courage. July bank clearings at Kansas City were the largest on record, because of the heavy receipts of cattle and hogs, but for the country as a whole bank clearings for July were adversely affected by the heat and drought. Fluctuations in corn continued, as conflicting reports of greater or less loss were given currency. Good spring-wheat reports, and liberal arrivals at interior cities, weakened prices of that staple. Cotton was weaker, owing to the arrival of needed rains.

While the tide of trade turned distinctly after the drought, and there was a generally cheerful tone everywhere on account of the seasonable weather and favorable crop outlook, the heat and dry weather continued to affect trade in various ways for many weeks. The shortage in corn and potatoes led to an increased demand for rice, and trade in canned goods and dried vegetables was stimulated by the scarcity of fresh vegetables and fruit. In the southwest, especially, the scarcity of fruit and vegetables gave the local commission houses a large business in fruit and produce. Meats and dairy products remained high, 'partly owing to the fear of smaller supplies later in the season, due to the early marketing of young and unfattened stock,' and partly because of the high price of corn. As late as September 7 nearly all the lumber mills in Oregon closed down on account of the unsatisfactory condition of the market resulting from the crop shortage in eastern sections.

The special feature of the week ending August 17 was the effect upon southern trade of a West India hurricane, which gave very heavy rains over some of the southern states, and on the Louisiana coast alone did damage to growing crops, chiefly rice, estimated at $1,000,000.

At the end of the second week in September, with the coming of cooler weather, summer travel fell off decidedly in Maine and elsewhere, and retail trade in many of the larger cities improved with the return of the summer absentees.

Abnormally cool weather, with local frosts, prevailed east of the Rocky Mountains during the week ending September 21. Corn, cotton and dairy products advanced in consequence. The immediate effect of these lower temperatures was to stimulate the demand for fall and