The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-23

lucky year was 1908. In the first ten
years of the century the import was very
high, owing TO the war. The war con-
tinued through part of the next period,
and the average import was now 4, 1885,
600 bushels. From 1920 to 1880 the
record is better, and the average import
reached but 2,945,00 bushels. A re-
markable decline in the wheat import
now set in, and in 1885 it was but 227,-
1914 bushels. The import Of the follow
ing year, though somewhat larger, was
still ridiculously small. The Britons
were then trying to keep out foreign
grain altogether by their Corn laws. 1t
really looked as if they meant to raise
all their own bread. An increased i'm
port soon began, however, and in 1888
no less than IA, 924, 900 bushels came
from abroad. From this time the av-
erage increase has been very rapid.
In the year following the repeal of
the Corn laws the import of wheat and
-four nearly doubled, and in 1S49 it was
81 ,254, 900 bushels. Until 1860 this last
figure was rarely equaled. In 1862 the
import was unusually large, being over
SO ,0O0, 600 bushels. In the next ten
years this was not equaled, the usual
import being about 65,000,U00 bushels
yearly. But in 1873 the import of 1862
was exceeded, and since that year
level has been permanently reached at
least &c, 000, 900 bushels higher than in
previous wears. In 1877 wheat and
wheat -four were imported to the guam
tity of liz, 800, 600 bushels, valued at
1 h.. q "a, 81
amounted TO 100, 100, 900 bushels, valued
at Sl69, 100000. The flour amounted to
over 4, 234, 900 barrels, valued at 1884,
015,O00. The import of wheat and
flour in 1877 exceeded that of the previ-
Gus year by more than 18,600,00 BUSH
els. give the import of wheat, and
not of other grains, because, though i'm
mense quantities of corn and oats are
imported, they are not here classed as
breadstuffs, though large amounts of
both are, in fact, used as human food.
If the population of the United King
dom were increasing at like pace with
the consumption of foreign bread, all
these figures would go for nothing. But
the population is not so increasing. In
1S41 it was 26, ISL 900, in 1877 twas es-
timated at 80, 444 900 by the usual rate
of increase Each person consumes an
nually on an average about 800 pounds
of wheat or other bread grain. In the
first l0years of this century the average
annual import of wheat was slightly
more than peck head. In the second
decade the import per head was rather
less than six quarts; and in the third
decade not more than in the second.
From 1880 to 1910 the average import
haps a very little more. In the year
1910 the import per head was AZ pounds
"a large increase, and now more than
one-seyenth of the quantity required by
each person. In 1912 the average was
50 pounds; in 1876, 4S pounds; in 1850,
it was 80 pounds; in 1854, nearly 70
pounds; in 1860, it reached 119 pounds;
and in 1862, nearly 1S5 pounds. Then
it fell off for number of years, sinking
in 1865 to SO pounds per head, but usu-
ally being much more than that. In
1875 it was 49, pounds; in 1876, 167
pounds; and in 1877, more than 20G
pounds per head of the whole popula-
ton of the kingdom. 1t will be seen
that the foreign breadstutfs now used
are more than two-thirds of the whole
supply required.
Even a hundred years ago, when
wages were low and money had a much
higher purchasing power than now, the
price of wheat was nearly as high, nom
inally, as now; really it must have been
much higher. From 1760 to 1890 the
average wholesale price of wheat was
SLAP bushel In the last ten years of
that century the price was S1.75, whole
sale, too. In the first 20 years of this
century, while the war with Napoleon
was in progress, the average price was
fully S2.65 bushel. In that period,
however, England had a badly depre-
ciated currency, and the gold value of
wheat may not have been much above
81 bushel. Since 1920 the price has
rarely been lower than S1.50, and 81
(gold value here) has been very COM
mon. In 1864 the price sank to S1.25-
always wholesale-which is very low
for wheat in England. In the last ten
years the average price has been about
S1.70.
Bread in England is usually sold and
rated by the quartern loaf, which should
weigh four pounds. The half-quartern
loaf, however, is the more common size.
In many places in London the four
pound loaf is selling for IL and II cents.
That, however, is VIGOROUSLY of poor
quality of flour. No good bread sells
at less than IA cents quartern, and the
best is 16 cents-just cents pound.
Crackers are nearly twice as dear as in
the United States.
In lS49 the United Stetes sent one
eighth of Great Britain's whole import
of wheat and flour. They do much bet
ter now. In 1876 they sent nearly one
half; and, in 1877 about seven
Russia sends fifth. Eng
land is every year becoming more and
more great game park, and the nobil-
ity and country gentry seem to be in
clined to turn their attention in the fu-
ture mostly to the culture of deer, hares,
and pheasants. The home supply of
bread and meat seems every year grow
ing shorter, and present indications are
that the import of foreign grain, and,
indeed, of all kinds of food, will this
yearbe much in excess even of the last
year, which was itself memorable for
its great increase over all previous years
in the history of the country. Unless
the English give less attention to game
culture, and more to grain culture, than
in years past, the United States may
expect regularly increas-
ing demand for their wheat on this side
the Atlantic.
A.
AnchOring a Horse.