The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-07 00:00:00

AMERICAN PRODUCTION OF WHEAT
AND MEAT.

In London, on Monday afternoon, the first meeting of the
Year, of the Farmers' Club was held at the Inns of Court
lintel, when Mr. Finlay Dunn read a paper on "American
Production of Wheat and Meat" The list of papers for the
year shows that Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., will deal with the
same subject in a paper on "America and its Farming."

Mr. J. Treadwell, of Aylesbury, presided and among
those present were Mr. P. Phipps, Mr. J. J. Mechi,
Mr. James Howard, Mr. Charles Howard, (Royal
Commissioner), Mr. G. M. Allender, Mr. Duckham,
and agriculturists from all parts of the country.
Mr. Finlay Dun pointed out that the United States
at present produced about one-fourth the wheat grown
in the world, the yield for 1879 being about 56,000,000
qrs. Accirding to the offilial statistics, the wheat
area is upwards of 32,090,000 acres, or 10 times that
of the British Islands. The area of the crop of 1878
was 25 per cent, greater than that of 1877, while during
1879 a further increase was made at fully 3 per cent.—
an increment of 28 per cent. under two years. This
rapid augmentation testified how readily and quickly
the supplies in America responded to the demand.
Even with this large accession, the wheat area of the
States was only equivalent to the dimensions of
the single State of Alabama, or only 1-44th of the
total area of the United States. The abundance
of land still uncultivated—much of it available for
wheat-growing— distributed throughout the vast
Western Continent was obviously a most important
factor in the continuous permanent supply of cheap
wheat. The fresh, untilled, virgin soil could be bought
at small prices from the State or Territory, from
railway companies or from private speculators, who
had in soiee regions taken up large tracts, in tolerably
accessible situations, five or six miles from a railway.
Such lands, well suited for wheat, could be purchased
at 20s. or 255. an acre, or at less than the price at which
similar land could be rented in England for one year.
In many localities they could be rented on very mode-
rate terms or worked in shares the landlord providing
house-buildings, occasionally also furnishing seed, and
receiving as rent one- half of the grain crops, which o .!cu-
pied, perhaps, half the holdiag ; while, with the other
half of the grain, the tenant took all profit on live
stock kept, and on clover, roots, fruit, or vegetables.
He entered into the cost of production of food in the
States and gave figures showing that they were a
quarter less than in England, and he gave the cost of
cultivating an acre in America at 375., as against a
in England—the 375. in America including interest on
capital, 6a; rates and taxes, is. ; ploughing, 65.;
see. 65,; sowing and harrowing, 2g.; reapjng and
stacking, 10.1. ; and delivering, 6s. He pro-
ceeded to show that the American farmers were
beginning to increase their yield of wheat per
acre, and he calculated that they obtained 141.
an acre profit, giving an annual gain over .the
32,000,000 acres of wheat area of £22,000,000—a gain
which had resulted in sending more land into
wheat cultivation. He entered at length into the
means by which the Americans were endeavouring,
and successfully, to cheapen the cost of bringing the
produce to the consumer, and stated that from Min-
neapolis, 1,200 miles west of the Atlantic, a barrel of
flour was conveyed to Liverpool, Cardiff, or Glasgow
for 7e., while from St. Louis it cost only ss. Wheat
could be produced in America for 255. per quarter,
forwarded 1,500 miles by railroad, lake, or canal, and
3.000 across the ocean to Liverpool or other United
Kingdom ports for 15e. and 20s. for landing, inStir-
ance, and commission charges, a total of 425. a quarter,
affording a profit to farmer, carrier, and shipper.
In contrast to this he gave the position of the British
farmer :

"When the sun shines in England and a good
crop of wheat Is properly matured, the farmer ex-
pects to make for his fuller-berried wheats about
2s, per qr. more than can be got for the thinner
ordinary No. 2 American. • With the risks of in.
different seasons there can be only slender and
precarious profit in growing wheat in this country
at 445. or 455. What can be substituted for it on
poor clays and thin soils, which produce at
best about 3 qrs. an acre, come not within
my subject. With Letter prospects it will con-
tinue to be grown on soil where 4 qrs. can generally be
counted on, where no retriction is laid on the sale
of the straw, and where, in addition to the grain, the
straw will realize £4 or £5 an acre. It is only under
such favourable circumstances that British farmers
can depend upon profitably producing wheat at 453.
per qr., which, with extending cultivation throughout
the world and tolerably good crops, will probably be
its average value for years to come."
The speaker then entered fully into the question of
meat production in the United States, and while he
held that the American (States and Canadian) pig
breeders were masters of the situation in producing
pork and bacon at 3d, a pound, he acknowledged that
in sheep our flock masters would hold their own. In
conclusion, he said :—" For years to come America
must certainly be able to furnish enormous supplies of
her surplus, both of wheat and meat, The exports of
butcher meat, although hitherto limited, must
undergo considerable augmentation. Of the beef, ai
of other food, the United Kingdom will take the
largest share. Live cattle will come freely during
summer, while finer weather can be counted on. The
ocean charges are £3 to £4 per head, while 20s. to 253.
extra covers the cost of food and attendance during
the voyage. For about £B, a bullock, which
would be purchased at 2d. per lb. dead weight,
*can thus be brought from his native ranges on the
eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and landed in
Liverpool. This transit charge would add less than
20. per lb. to his carcase of beef. The transport of
dead meat is still less. The superior beef slaughtered
in New York and other Atlantic ports and brought
over in isa.cooled chambers, reaching Great Britain
in excellent condition, is disposed of at the landing
part at 6d. Large foreign enrpliirn of ...Idly gesnri
meat, offered wholesale at 61. must pal down the
price of ordinary English meat to 7ii. or 7d. The
British farmers was able some years ago to make meat
at 7d. or less. We must do do again. Toe American
competition might be profitably met by better selec-
tion of stock, by early maturity, by the steady con-
tinuous growing of the young flock, by avoidance of
wasteful, dangerous checks, by turning out two-year.
old beef and year old mutton, by more liberal use of
cheap, imported, concentrated food, by consolidating
profits, and endeavouring to do business more directly
with the consumer."

Mr. Mechi, of Tiptree-hall, said it was very fortu-
nate for our people, and it had been a great blessing
to them, that the food had come from America in the
face of the deficient food production of the country
this year. Looking at the facts put before the club
by Mr. Dun the farmers of England would have now
to consider how to lower their expenses and increase
the productiveness of the land, for it was to be re-
membered that the cost of freights upon American
produce was a protection to the British farmer, and
these freights would amount to about 14s. or 15s. a
quarter on wheat. He did not fear the effects oi
foreign competition to the British producer if the latter
were set free to take the best mode of action in the
management of their farms and if rents fell to meet
the altered circumstances—and they would( have to
f all. _ _ .

Mr. Averling, of Rochester, remarked that not
only must rents and rates come down, but every im-
pediment which stood in the way of the introduction
of capital to agriculture must be swept away. (Hear.)
The change could be obtained, not by setting down
and grumbling, but by the application of votes at the
proper time.
Mr. James Howard, of Bedford, dwelt upon the
great increase of land being brought into cultivation in
the States, and remarked that had some of the farmers
taken the advice he gave in the paper he read 13 years
ago in the club to emigrate to America, many of those
now unable to meet their engagements would have
been prosperous families in the States. He advised
"thinning out," and contended that the burdens and
restrictions upon the British farmer must be leEsened
before he could successfully compete with the
American. - -

The proceedings terminated shortly afterwards.