Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-02-26
SIBERIAN WHEAT.
The Country Which is to Compete with
America as Wheat Producer.

A great many people have very hazy
ideas about Russia in general, and ST.
IBERIA in particular. The latter vast ter
ritory, some 1,200 miles from moth to
south, and $500 from east TO west, has
been subjected in the minds Of many
persons through the pathetic story Of
The "Ex;les OF Siberia" to influences
akin to those which have nodded the
ideas of many Engiishmen and others
respecting this country. Photographs
of snow Tor salt) besprinkled entities all
fur-capped, legginged and belted in Red
river capotes; wolf or two sneaking in
the foreground; black bear lazily gam
boiling on tree in the rear; with several
"Injuns" on the far frosty horizon, in
moccasins and snowshces, apparently
chasing nothing in particular, are sent
home plentifully to adnIiring country
cousins, and help to foster the Lotion
that Canada is in the man an arctic re-
gion covered with almost perpetual
snow, pervaded by enormous rivers
which, under masses Of ice, pursue their
course through boundless prmeval for
c5ts to the distant ocean. No doubt a
country Of such vast extent as Siberia
must be in different climates, aud the
soil and products must be as various.
But, though the northern paris are cold
ard lnhOspltable, there are extensive
fertile regions whiCh--those watered by
the great river Oby especially-will, it
is said, now have their wheat and other
products brought into competition with
American and even with southern Rus
.si, ,,,lo 80 / -, 81,
Oby is the largest river in the Russian
empire. Issuing from Lake Allyn, in
the desert Of Ischinska, it is navigable
almost throughout to its source, afford
ing nineteen hundred miles of smooth
navigation The necessaries oflife are
extremely cheap in this district, especi-
ally about fobolsk; so cheap, indeed,
that Incidence and ease prevail to such
an extent as to retard the commercial
and industrial progress of the inhabit-
ants. 1t seems strange to hear Of u sea
route from Siberia only now being eds
covered" via Tobolsl; but this may be
owing to a want Of enterprise on the
part OF the residents. 1t appears that
wheat from Siberia passing through the
GulfofOby, probably through the Straits
vi w dsitL, vi tlSt llpi III vi Nova Ltlil-
bla, can be sold in London, including
freight for ninety-nine cents per pood, !
which Is an appreciate rate lower than
the price of white Russian and Ameri- |
can wheat.
There seems to be no reason why, |
should this be true, Siberia should not |
prove most important factor in Euro
pean wheat supply. The southern part
OF the country Is fertile, with immense
plains or steppes, some, no doubt, san |
dy and barren, but others we'll watered |
with open tracts between forests, gener- |
ally adapted for tillage and pasture. In |
fact, Siberia is country of many and |
varied endowments and capabilities.
rich in fine furs and skins, gold, silver,
IRON, lead and copper; and having also |
coal in the northern part.
The Russian caravans travel every
year through the country with their
merchandise to China, passing through
Tobolsk on the Oby, where also all the
turs furnished by Siberia are brought |
INTO a warehouse, and thence forwarded |
to the Siberian chancery Mt Moscow.
Under proper trade development tho |
exports of Siberia ought to be very |
large, and greatly in excess of the I'M
ports. 1t affords variety of commo- |
dities which are of great use TO foreign
ers, and its artiiicers want neither tools |
nor materials to carry on their trade,
though they are lacking in industry and |
push on account Of the cheapness of
food, and other easy conditions fife. |
Much fine wheat should come out of
1 In ~ al I,St nt a
tie feeding, fishing and hunting, have
indeed for ages been the chief occupa-
ton of the Russian people, though ma
tional development in other ways has
been the rule since the great Peter
civilized the barbarous subject Of his
vast empire. Russia, in commerce, as
IN agriculture, now holds rank among
the nations of the world of which human
foresight could have formed no concep-
ton, and to which it can assign no limits.