Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1879-11-20
AGRICULTURAL.
The Am erican Surplus.
BY THE HON. ]. R DODGE.

How much is it? What are tho re-
quirements of home consum ption? We
are tod that Europe has an ample
suficiencv Of grain with sixteen bush
els per capita. Upon that assump-
ton the American supply Of forty -one
bushels for the past ten years has
sometimes been declared ample for
double the present population. Even
Mr.. A. B. Allen writes to the Eng
lish Agricultural Gazette that I'VE
have grown this year thrice as much
as is necessary for all our wants. or
sufficient to Economically support
l20,o0o,000 people" Undoubtedly,
if all the grain should be reserved for
human food, as there would then be
not only l6 bushels as IN Europe, but
fully 10 the present season. But
scarcely tenth of the maize crop is
consumed as bread, though an able.
bodied Southern laborer may dispose
of dozen bushels annually; and less
than fourth Of tho annual produc.
ton NJ coreals is over consumed at
homo in all forms OF breadstutfs,
Is it possible that half our grain is
wasted? That some hundreds Of mil.
lions of bushels of corn are fed useless
ly in place of stover and heritage now
allowed to waste? Or is it allowed to
decay in granaries and become food
for rats and mice? Undoubtedly there
ia waste in garnering, feeding and
storing, and in far distant points on
the bleak prai,ies little is economi-
cally used in place of coal; yet there
are excellent reasons for believing
that no auch plethora of production
exists as many assume. If We must
reckon supply "by tho head" let it
be of farm animals rather than hu-
man beings. If the domestic animals
Of Europe eat scarcely half the native
cereal supplies (by the use Of numer.
GUS substitutes), and in some nations
a much smaller proportion, it should
be remembered that in this country
farm stock consumes more than three
fourths Of our grain crops. Another
potent reason is found in the two
lines Of figures comparing the mum.
Der Of these animals per 1000 inhabi.
tants.
Cattle. Sheep. Swine.
United States 666 III 6S7
Average of European countries
3l8 697 l6l
A third reason is found in the require.
ments for expectation, direct. in forms
original and secondary.
A slight tast, by reference to pro.
ducts and prices, will expose the fall
lacy Of such assumption. In 1869
there was short crop. The csrsus
made it less than 80O,0O0,O0O, and still
there were more than 33 bushels to
each head Of population. With
twice the European quota there should
have been an ample supply. There
was no starvation, but the average
value Of the crop advanced to 1853
cents per bushel. The crop Of 1870
was larger, according to my own est.
mates, by 220,00o,ooo bushels, and
the price dropped to $40 cents, and
with two more crops averaging
about 80 bushels per acre Chat of
1869 being $3.50 a still further fall
to 1913 cents was effected. The
next year the estimated yield fell
from l,O92,000,OOO to 932,OO0000,
and in 1874 to S50,OO0,OOO, making
the worst corn harvest in ten years,
and carrying the price up to 4S, and
then to 64.7 cents, notwithstanding
the downward tendency of prices
generally. Since that date the pro.
duct has been very large without e1.
ception, averaging more than 1900,
100000 bushels and the price has fall
len off one half in FIVE years. Such
constituencies Of value to the slightest
diminution in production is pretty
good evidence that half Of the supply
cannot safely be dispensed with. A
loss Of 5 bushels per head, or half of
it, is instantly felt in advancing val
ue.
The mistake that is made, in COM
pairing American with European sup
plies, is in falling to remember that
msise is here the great national crop,
occupying fve-eights Of all the land
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