The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-04
FARMER.
THE GRAIN TRADE

| In our Fridays issue we published state.
meat Of the shipments to the different ports oI
Europe during the present season, reaching
the large total OF 1881 .Os4 bushels. This Ia at
evidence that the liver route is gradually be.
coming appreciated Ia this branch Of trade.
Formerly, when the transportation OF grain
depended principally on sailing vessels. the At
! lantic ports offered the greater advantages of @
much shorter sea voyage, and the Northern
| press at the time pretended that the moiet
| atmosphere Of the gulf .stream impaired the
grain transportated in bulk. Some average
good passages of sailing vessels lin lsT3l which
delivered their eargoes In excellent condition,
destroyed that statement. European operators
gained confidence and on account Of the
| cheaper cost. ordered shipments fro m New Or.
leanH. Experience confirmed the fact that the
moisture Of the gulf passags was In no way
Questionable. and that the only cause of COM
plaint was due to the protracted voyage. Steam
ships have In consequence. been more gen.
orally employed and results more satisfactory.
II ts. therefore, more than probable. that the
business from New Orleans will present more
important features than have hitherto existed
| An experimental barge trip from the Illinois
river having resulted satisfactorily II Ia pretty
certain that next season we shall receive three
million bushels additional from that souroe.
| which formerly found its way to Chicago by
rail to the Atlantic ports.
Lately at large meeting held In Ottawa Il
was decided to appeal to Congress- for the
widening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal to
800 feet 30 as to have an available outlet to the
Mississippi river aud via New Orleans to the
sea. This canal was completed In 1s4s. pre-
senting length Of 1os miles and n width of
sixty feet tother canals were then forty feet
widel and cest some four millions OF dollars.
The outlay TO widen is 80 enormous (probaby
twenty millions of dollars to complete the
work OF the proportions proposeal that It IL
very doubtful whether Congress- will undertake
1t. In which case the plans will have to be CAR
ried out by the citizens Of Illinois. The differ.
ence of cost of transportation of grain to the
seaboard by the barge system. through the
canal. compared with the present railway
charge will soon compensate for the outlay.
Jay Gould's railroad combinations from st.
Louis out will permit OF a large quantity of
grain reaching that point and being conveyed
down the river.
The railroad from Northern Texas will also
bring large increase Of grain for shipment at
New Orleans. The largest merchant steamers
aGoat can now come to our wharves aud load
with less exposure to the ordinary dangers
of navigation than elsewhere. This season large
steamers that could not find cargoes In New
York. Baltimore. etc. have come here and
taken their loads of grain.
During the present month some of the new
barges will be finished and probably add 1,0oO-
600 bushels to our receipts. With the opening
Of the next season there will be double the
present available barge carrying capacity
afoat. which will enable US to export In two
months what has this year required seven
months.
The means of handling grain here are at the
present inadequate for such an extended trade.
but arrangements are now tending gradually
to meet the growing requirements. Notwitn-
| standing our want OF preparation for this in
creased business. the shipments during the
present season ending August 81 next will
| probably be three times larger than the past
By Offering SO large an amount OF return
freight to steamers coming here for grain 1t Is
natural that they will bring outward cargoes
at low rates. for delivery to inland cities. This
merchandise has hitheito been imported
through Atlantic ports.