Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-01
Grain at the Worlds Fair,

The report upon agriculture by j. j.
Woodman, of Michigan, assistant COM
missioner to the Paris exposition, con-
tains an interesting account of the ex-
hibit of grains. 1t says the finest ex-
nibit of agricultural products from the
United States was that Of the Oregon
state commission. Of the other great
agricultural and cereal-producing states
of the Union some were not represented
at all and some only partially. The re-
port contains comparative statement
of the present condition of agricultural
interests in the principal countries of
Europe, noting especially the points in
which they differ from the same indus
| tries III our own country. In France
the average size Of farms is sixteen and
half acres of arabic or thirty-three
and a half acres of productive land,
making 1917 81 farms. Of these q
500, 1888, or II per cent, are cultivated
by the owners; 931 ,943, or only q per
cent. are rented at fixed price; and s
per cent. are worked on shares. The
free use of fertilizers is mentioned as
the reason for the heavy crops realized
from small areas. The advantage of
rotation has also been fully demonstrate
ed in France. In the English exhibit
samples Of Mods new varieties Of
wheat were shown in the straw and at
tracted much attention. 1t was claim.
ed that this wheat could be sown one
month earlier and would require
only one half of the quantity
of the old varieties, and would
produce 1O5 gallons from single stalk,
and 112 bushels from single acre.
The report shows that the average pro-
duction of England per acre is greater
than in any other country in Europe,
if not in the world. In Austria and
Hungary 923 per cent. of the whole
territory is productive, and the soil is
highly favorable for agriculture. The
farmers generally own the soil they cul,
tivate. The average yield of wheat is
fifteen bushels to the acre.
An elaborate and comprehensive
table giving the average amount of
cereal production of the European
countries which furnish surplus for
commerce and also those which are
Obliged to import breadstuffs, sho VS.
that the average annual production OF
| C6IS Gals III LiI1OJS W Jill - OOi
GOO bushels, of which Russia produces
1866 021,00 bushels, or nearly one
third; the whole of Germany, 765,000.-
600 bushels; France, 710,130,900 bush
els, and Hungary, SOC, 100000. On the
basis of an average of Is 78-100 bushels
of cereals for each person for home
consumption, Roumania, Denmark,
Russia. Prussia, France, Hungary, Ba-
varia and Sweden alone raise sufficient
for home consump tion. A comparison
of the production of cereals per capita
for the whole population of Europe
with that for the United States gives the
former about seventeen bushels and
the latter forty bushels.
The report says that many of the
countries of Europe, especially Great
Britain and France, are largely deficient
in meat products, and that they are
now turning their attention to the
United States for supplies. The report
says that English stock-raisers who have
become alarm ed at the success which
has attended the importation of Ameri-
can beef, have recently discovered that
American cattle can be imported and
fed even Upon American grain at pres
ent prices with considerable profit to
the English imDOrter