Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-11-11

From The ". T. Working Farmer.
The Wheat Trade Of Europe.


1t cannot but be instructive to our large
wheat-growers, to be made acquainted with
the wheat trade of Europe. The following
article, from the Mark Lane Express, fur
nishes many valuable statistics:
SHIN your review of the British
Corn Trade" last week, you advsrted to
the peculiar position in which that branch
of our commerce stands at the present
time, and the probability that there may
be a still greater reason for grave consider
alton on the part, not only Of those active
ly engaged in the corn trade, but of the
Government, as to how the necessary sup
plies shall be obtained for the ensuing
year. l am not an alarmist, having NO
wish unnecessarily to excite the fears of
the timid, or to raise the price Of corn to
an undue and Fictitious rate; but at the
same time, it is perfectly right to look the
difficulties of our position in the face; and
to be prepared to meet them we must be
acquainted with their nature and extent.
1t is now reduced to a certainty that the
growing crops of wheat will, in the aggre-
gate, be far below an average one, whether
the actual yield be good or bad, owing to
the impossibility in the autumn of sowing
the usual quantity. And this is especially
the case in Ireland, where the disinclina-
tion to cultivate for wheat increases every
year, independent of sowing anything like
the usual breadth last autumn. This be.
ing the case, it is necessary to inquire into
the sources from whence We are to obtain
a supply sufficient to last us until the har-
vest of 1854.
The principal corn-exporting countries
may be divided into four grand sections,
namely, those bordering on the shores of
the Baltic, and embracing the northern
sea-ceast those on the Atlantic and Med
iterranean sea board; those on the Black
Sea and its appendages; and the continent
of North America, comprising the United
States and the British colonies. From all
these quarters We have hitherto obtained
an ample supply Of wheat-for it is to this,
as the most important cereal, that l pro.
pose to con6ne the inquiry-and there is
no doubt that they will still, one or another
of them (for ALL cannot fail us in ordinary
years) furnish us with the needful supply.
But the present year is one Of those pccu-
liar seasons in which the most correct cal
culations resting On former experience are
liable to be neutralized and the question
therefore remains to be solved, from what
quarters may we expect such supply as
shall make up the deficiency certain to
arise in our own crop7
1t is now a well-known and admitted
fact, that the supply Of wheat from Nor
thern Europe has for some years been de-
clining in quantity. Many causes have
contributed to produce this falling off; but
We will mention only four Of these, as be-
ing of permanent character, and likely
still further to diminish the exporting
power. The first of these is the fact that
the population of Europe has increased to
the extent of from 80 to 100 millions since
the peace Of 1915, and consequently there
must have been corresponding increase
of consumption. When M. Jacobs drew
up his report on the corn trade in 1927
he estimated, from the information he OBJ
tanned on the continent, that the increase