Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-08-29


t-------------------------- a
G| Tue FoRErS GRAIN TRApE.-Tho follow.
ing is an interesting and useful extract hom Mr..
Hudson's speech in Congress. on the subject Of
our foreign grain trade
81 um confident. Mr.. Chairman, tina, there is
grca, misoPprehension on this suhj'c, o: trade.
Some gentlemen seem 10 take il for granted
that Great Britain is tho principal, and almost
the only market for our brcads,uff But moth.
ing can be more false"
lie stated further, on official authority that
the total average Of the export of wheat for the
last fourteen years, is 5505,000 bushels, and
that the average export TO Great Bri,nin is only
9l4,OOO. being about onc-sirih OF the whole
Our trade with Great Britain in this article is
much Ovcrrated. For the last fourteen years
We have sent TO England only eigh. per cent
more than 10 Brazil and for the last three,
Bra I'll has taken sixty per cent. more thun Eng
land. Our trade with Canada for u number of
years past, has been greater than with England
itself. For the last seven years we have sent
$4,000 bushels, and to England, ut the same
time, 7,764 GOO bushels; showing greater de.
mand in Canada than in England by six,y.,wo
per cent.
lie gives further tables, and slows that for
the last ID years the average import Of wheat
into Great Britain has been 1864 S96 bush
els. Her demand has been exceedingly yari.
able, ranging from 22S, 400 to 23,9l7. 100 bush
els. Nor is this all. In 1896. she actually expor.
ted large amount to this and other countries.
In price, too, there has been great fuc,un,ion.
In 1885, the average price of whea, in Great
Britain was Sl07. and in 1870, 81 92 per bush.
el. But not TO rely upon single years: In 1920,
80, and 81. she imported, on an average, l2,-
4S2, 700 bushels; in 1884, 30 and 80 an aver
age of only 800 900; and in 1910, Al and az,
an average of 81, 49,, Goo From this view OF
the subject, it will be seen that bnt little de.
pendencc can be placed upon that market At
one time she reQuiresa considerable supply of
| foreign grain at another she raises IN re than
she consumes. In 1890, '37, and '}S, she sup.
piled us with an average of ii5,403 bushels a
| year direct; and we obtaind rearly half as much
more from her Canadian possessions. The de.
mnnd of the English market is not only luciu.
atng, but, as general truth. we may say iha,
her supply at home is gaining upon her demand
rather than otherwise. In 1899. 30. and 81,
with population Of about % .OOO,OcO. she con.
sumed.a we have already seen, an average Of
l2 4s2.1 200 bushels; and in lS43, with popula.
,ion of nhou, 27,OOOO0O. she consumed 7,64O..
800 bushels Of foreign wheat.
We give another passage from the carefully
prepared remarks os Mr.. Hudson.
Tookc, an experienced English writer. in.
forms US that. from 1882 to 1898. the crops in
Great Britain and Ireland were 20 abundant
that wheat was fed out to cattle, sheep. and
swine, and even used for distillation. This in.
'luced the farmer to SOW less; and. for several
succeeding years. the winters were unfavorable
| for the crops, and the seaeon of harvest was &c
unpropiious as 10 increase the demand for for.
eign grain. Every man acquainted with English
agriculture knows that grea, improvements are
constantly taking place in her mode Of cultva
tion. Boys aud swamps arc being reclaimed
barren hll'sides ore being converted into fruit.
fol fields, and her waste places are being made
to blossom like the rose. She has also adop-
ted an improved mode OF seeding. Until quite
recently, the wheat growers were in the habit
OF sowing about three bushels Of grain 10 the
acre. Bu, Drummoud, late English writer
says that, by the introduction OF a new machine
for sowing wheat, which distributes tue grain
equally over the whole surface OF the ground
they have found that lees quantity oi seed vii
answer equally we'll, and that this improve