The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-05-30
RUSSIAN GRAIN TRADE.
An EFT 'ish View of the superiority of
America as n Wheat-GrOwing COun
[London Pail Mall Gazette,

London Pail Mall Gazette.l
In its greed for conquest the Russian gov
eminent seems to have overlooked the risk
il is running of losing to its subjects their
valuable corn trade. The Americans sharp
ened by competition, are more keen-sighted.
We learn from telegram is last Fridays
Times from its Philadelphia correspondent
that speculations are being carried on to an
extent never before known. Dealings are
enormous especially at Chicago, where thou
sands crowd the exchange, most of them
exhibiting extreme excitement" The i'm
mediate hope, of course, is that the blockade
of Odessa and other Russian ports in the
Black sea will cause an extraordinary rise in
wheat, and that in consequence large profits
are to be realized by those who speculate
early. But IL the rise takes place, il will
give a fresh and extraordinary stimulus to
the wheat cultivation in every country not
affected directly by the war which supplies
the English market Thus Russia may find,
on the return of peace, that the trade is gone
from her. 1t is to be borne in mind that
Russia has not now the advantage over COM
petitors she possessed at the time of the Cri-
mean war Our dependence upon the for
eign supply was then very much less than it
is now, and, consequently, our demand did
not make it worth the while of all agrcultu-
raj countries to strive for our custom. Be-
sides, Russia was very much nearer to us,
was an old country, and had long had a con-
siderable trade in her hands. But since then
her advance in industry and wealth, though
considerable absolutely, has been infinitesi
NAL compared with that of several new COM
munities. In the United States, for exam
pie, the upper valley OF the Mississippi
the wheat growing region par excel
lence has been almost altogether set
tied in the interval The great state
of Minnesota had but 5000 Inhabitants
in 1850; Michigan had fewer than 400, 900;
Iowa itself bad not quite 100000; even ILL
nois had only $50, 0O0l Now these four COM
monwealths have an aggregate population
as large as that of Ireland; they are studded
with numerous flourishing towns and cities,
are connected with the rest of the world by
means of a complete network of railways.
not to mention canals, rivers and lakes, and
they grow grain in such superabundance
that Indian corn is not unfrequently used
as fuel. Again, at the time of the Cnmean
war California produced only gold; it is
now one of the greatest exporters of wheat
in the world. Nor is it only the United
States that has grown in this way. The
cereal production OF Canada has also made
extraordinary strides The South Ameri-
can republics have also advanced rapidly;
Chill, for instance, sends us large supply;
while the opening of the Suez canal has re-
Gently enabled India to enter the trade.
Russia has, in consequence, to sustain
competition beyond all comparison greater
than existed 20 years ago.
In fact, we draw our supplies
at present literally from all parts Of the
earth. And Russia has not been able to
make head against her rivals. In spite of
the vast construction Of railways of the en-
enlargement given by the establishment of
local banks, of the emancipation of the serfs
and OF all the other measures adopted by
the government for the development OF the
material resources of the empire, its ability
to sustain the competition to which it has
been exposed has not increased as we should
have expected. A very few years ago we
drew from Russia a far greater supply than
from any other country. Suddenly in 1874
the exports OF the United States made a
great bound forward, and every year since
they have more snd more exceeded the Rus