The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-05-30

sian, until in the agricultural gear ending
with last harvest the United States and Cam
ada sent us nearly half our whole foreign
imports, and Russia sent us only one
seventh. In fact, while the Russian
imports have fallen one-third, American
have trebled since 1872 Another fact which
proves very clearly how much even in peace
time Russia was falling behind in the COM
petition is that, while in 1875 we imported
over 5000, 900 cwt. of wheat more than in
1872, the increase was drawn almost con-
clusively from sources other than Russian.
But il Russia, in the midst of peace, was I'M
able to hold her own in a market in which
she had long been by far the principal deal
er, what chance is there that she will sue
coed in getting back her custom when she
has once been excluded from the market bv
war? Even with Turkey as her sole antag-
onist, it is not likely that the contest will be
very speedily brought to an end. and while
it continues the Black Sea will be closed
against her. IL other powers are dragged iE-
to the quarrel, it may last for years and in
that case the corn-growers OF Southern
Russia would be ruined.
Were this loss of trade to occur, the
distress that would fall upon Russia would
be incalculable. From the agricultural re-
turns published oy the board of trade a
couple of months ago it appears that Russia
is the third largest grower of wheat in the
world. The United States stands first with
lin 1914 30S, 100000 bushels; then comes
France with (lST3) 230, 000, 900 bushels, and
Russia is third, with (lS72) los, 900 600
bushels. These figures, by the way, demon
strate how completely the United States
have outstripped Russia. Not only do they
now send To this country about two and a
half times the quantity sent by Russia, but
they also grow nearly twice the quantity.
Another fact, showing still more clearly the
inferiority of Russia and its inability to
sustain protracted competition is that, ac-
cordlng to the same return, Russia
raises only five and half bushels
OF wheat to the acre, whereas the United
States raises twelve and half. But TO
resume. Russia, as we have said, is the
third principal wheat grower in the world,
and virtually she raises the whole crop for
expectation. Her people are too poor to
allow themselves the luxury Of q wheaton
diet. Now, If we assume that the grower
gets no more on an average than As bushel
"a low estimate-the crop OF 1872 was
worth to the farmers s3l. 900, 900. In addi-
ton there are the earnings of the railways
that carry the corn TO the seacoast, the
profits of the merchants and the gains of
Odessa and other ports from the large ex-
psndlture occasioned by the presence every
autumn and spring OF multitudes OF vessels
of all nations. All would be lost if the
export trade were extinguished. 1t is true
the whole OF the wheat is not exported,
and of that which is a large proportion is
sent by land into Germany. The
latter trade would not be destroyed,
though it might be diminished II
England were drawn into the Russo-Turkish
war the market for Russian grain might be
almost totally lost after the restoration of
peace. The effect of the loss of this trade is
difficult to estimate. 1t would bring ruin
on the wheat farmers; cut off from the rail-
roads large portion of their traffic directly,
and still larger portion indirectly, in con-
sequence of the distress into which the agri-
cultural classes would be plunged; and, last
ly, it would cause the ports from which
wheat is now exported to be deserted. Up
to the present the emancipated serfs have
paid promptly the installments on their
crown land purchases, and also their taxes.
Any omission to pay these charges would
place the government in most serious diff
culties