The Grange advance., 1874-03-11
wears named :

1868 .............2o.s 2oA 800 81
1869 .........."..2o.o 40 32.4 IL
1870 ...............zlo ~ ~ 70
1871 ......".......22.O $50 272 lo.6
He then says:
sit will be observed that since the year
1889 the proportion Of wheat grown in
the Atlantic States rapidly declined up
to 1869, while it as rapidly increased in
the States west of the Mississippi
pl, the proportional product Of the States
between the A|leghany Mountains and the
great river (the northwest territory in
creasing slowly up to 1866 and declining
slowly since that year. In 1889 the Allan
tic States produced 56 per cent. of the total
wheat crop: in l849 but So per cent. in
1859 but 81 per cent, and in 1869 but 20
per cent. Here the momentous decline
ceased. In 1870 it changed to an advance,
and the Atlantic States produced in that
year q per cent. of the wheat crop. The
statistics Of 1871 (the latest official statis-
tics in print) show that the advance contin-
ued; for in that year the Atlantic States
produced % per cent. of the wheat crop.
Coincident with the increased cultivation
of wheat on the seaboard is that Of it's di-
minished cultivation in the interior. From
less than two per cent. in 1889 the trans
Mississippi States produced over per cent
of the wheat crop in 1915 in l849 nearly 8
per cent. ; in 1859 over 10 per cent; in 1866
nearly 10 per cent. in 1867 about % per
cent. in 1868 80 per cent. and in 1869
over 81 per cent. Here this extraordinary
movement-which has drawn after it not
only the population of the New England
and Middle States, but nearly the entire
foreign immigration, planted rich cities in
the wilderness and dwarfed into relatively
Insignificant powers the former giant States
Of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia
here this movement ceased; ceased from
sheer fatigue OF distance; noislessly and
unawares to the nation whose interests are
SO largely bound up in the fact. Since 1869
the proportional wheat product Of the trans
Mississippi has declined to little more than
q per cent.
While this extraordinary retardation was
taking place something was felt TO be wrong:
the trade at Milwaukee, Chicago, etc.. fell
away prices fell off and many other phe.
nomenal symptoms of some hidden trouble
were observed; but no one saw anything
more than ephemeral difficulties which
would soon be removed by topical treat
ment. such as the organization of special
freight lines and other remedies of the sort.
Some of the shrewder farmers, suspecting
the truth, must have abandoned further at
tempts to cultivate wheat for markets dis
tant 1000 miles by rail, and sometimes
1900 miles more by sea, and gone back to
the Atlantic States, evidence Of this being
found in the remarkable revival of wheat
culture in this State.". >,
Mr.. Delmar then shows that the wheat
crop of New York in 1889 was II, 800, 600
bushels, rising in 1845 to l6, 200, 900 hush
els, after which time it constantly declined
until in 1864 it only produced 6,2OO, 900,
and since that time it increased until in
1871 it produced 9, 100000. He says that
similar facts are to be observed with refer
ence to Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other
Atlantic States.
In examining the causes Of these facts.
he claims that in attempting to compete
with the wheat growers of Russia. Austria
and Germany our farmers have taken the
plan Of exhausting the surface soil and then
moving further west, until they have got so
80 A4VAsA NAo1A0S SaA0S WAsA Su0~AA8A 10LSS VI
transportation they could not afford to raise
wheat 1t III, and that consequently they
have been compelled to raise larger guam
titles nearer the sea board. He concludes
thst more thorough and systematic farming
must be resorted to if We would successful
y compete with the grain growers Of the
old world, in which We agree with him, if
he viii amend his proposition BY adding
cheaper rates Of transportation to the sea
board. He shows from the report Of the
statitician Of our Agricultural Department
Tor 1896, that the avsrageyield Of wheat in
Ensiand for that year Vas % bushels per
acrs: s. russia ~, IN France Il, and il the
sUnitsa states l2. The per cent. Of exh.us-
Hon for that year was s. Enslsnd SO, in
IS France .5544 .snd s. thss sUnitsd
xhils ths per esat. q frestsl1s stiyss
lst - eoantriss rssp iysly .67,
! IS d 81
=! 4. dly