The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-11-12

the latest census reports, mas Deeu uedAiy
doubled. During the same period the ex-
portation Of breadstuffs has increased four
fold. II is now more than ten times as
great as it was twenty years ago, and more
than twenty times what it was thirty years
ago. As given by the Bureau of Stats
ties the total expectations were
In ~ o5 % g
. t'545sSoo
,S 500 ~ SsS S
In 1850 the total production of wheat
was little over hundred million bush
els, of which the portion exported was less
than four-6fths of one per cent. In 1880
the yield was close upon 45O,OOO,0OO
bushels, of which 344 per cent was export
cd. Of the second great staple, corn, the
Weld ia 1850 was nearly 100000
bushels, of which Ill per cent was ex-
ported. In 1880 the yield was nearly
l,54S. 000,000 bushels 6.34 per cent being
exported. The entire grain crop of last
year-corn, wheat, barley, oats, rye, etc.,
approached 2,7O0,000,000 bushels val
ned at 81, 1000, 00O,O 900. During the first
eight months of the current year the ex-
portatien of breadstuffs has exceeded $780,
100000 a month, material falling of
from last years business, owing partly to
better crops abroad and partly to the fact
that prices have been kept up by specula-
tive holding of grain for higher prices.
The apparent increase in the corn crop
during the past decade was 1873 per cent.
In the census year (1S79) the three prin-
cipal eorn-growing States produced more
corn than the entire country did in 1869.
The increase in Kansas was fivefOld, and
in Nebraska still greater.
The gain in the wheat crop was IS per
cent in the last decade; in the preceding
decades the gain was &C and 60 per cent.
Seven-tenths of the crop last year was pro-
duced in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan,
Minnesota, Iowa, California, Missouri, and
Wisconsin. The products of these States
were in round numbers Illinois, 81 ,OOO,-
900 bushels: Indiana, AZ 600, 900; Ohio,
10000 900: Michigan, 81, 500 900; Iowa,
31,OO0,000, California, 29,000,000; Mis-
souri, and Wisconsin, each 25,OOO,O0O.
PENNSYLVANIA followed with 19,500,OO0
bushels; Kansas, 1900, 600; Nebraska,
1900 900; New York and Kentucky,
each III 500, 900. The home consumption
of wheat is about SOC, 900, 900 bushels.
The great corn growing States are IL
linois, $4,000, 600 bushels; Iowa, 275,-
GOO 1000; Mississippi, 200, goo, 000i Indi-
ana. $4,000, OO0; Ohio, 1000, 900;
Kansas, 106, 600, 900; Kentucky %, 000,-
600; Nebraska, 65,000,000; Tennessee,
60 600, 600. Far below in the scale of
productions are the following, the figures
standing for millions Of bushels:-Penn-
sylyania, 40; Wisconsin, 81; Michigan, 81;
VIRGINS. %; Texas, 20; North Carolina,
2s: New York, 20; Alabama, 25l; Arkan-
sas, "a; Georgia, %; Mississippi, Il.
The oas crop comes mainly from Hi
ne;s. GO, 000, 900 bushels; Iowa, 90, 5OO,-
GOO; New York, 81 SOC, 600; PouEsylva
MIA. $4,000, 900; Wisconsin, s., 100000;
Ohio. 2S,500, 600, Minnesota, % 300 900;
Missouri, $1,000, 900; Indiana, 15,50e,
600. Four-tenths Of the area of this crop
aud nearly half the total product are ae-
credited to the first four States named.
OF the barley crop California and New
York produce nearly one half, and Wis
cousin, Iowa, and Minnesota yield most of
the other half. About half the rye comes
from PennsylVania, Illinois and New York.
OF the buekwheat crop (about Il, 000, 00e
bushels two-thirds are produced by New
York and Pennsylvania.
The enormous aud wonderfully rapid
increase in our grain crops is attributable
to several canses. Primarily We have the
invention and improvement Of agricultural
machinery, By which the cultivation Of
The great West has been made possible.
Next we have the vast extension and i'm
provemeut Of our railway and water lines,
making possible the profitable trauspoIta-
ton Of the large surplus TO Eastern aud
foreign markets. With this extension Of
means has come an important lowering OF
freight charges, which has made it posi-
bic to place American grain in the mar
kets Of Europe at prices at which il can
compete successfully With European grain,
especially that from Russia, Hungary,
Austria, and Germany.
OF course the vast immigration Of farm
ers who have swarmed into the Northwest,
a full regiment day for every day in the
year, is an element Of the problem Of no
mean Significance; but their labor has been
largely invited aud made profitable by the
eheapening Of the transportation Of their
crops to the East and to Europe.
Ten years ago it was the belief Of rail
road men that grain could not be carried
from Chicago to New York for less than
"a cents bushel. The rate has since
been lowered to 90 cents, and for special
rates, it is said, on good authority, to half
that sum. The nominal rate at this time
is IL cents During the same period the
cost of water carriage has been eOrrespon
dinghy reduced. The lowest estimate that
We have seen of the actual cost of bringing
wheat from Chicago TO Buffalo By steam
barge is S2.s5 a hundred bushels; from
Buffalo to New York BY canal and river,
e5.T0; making the cost from Chicago TO
New York by water all charges included
s 90 100 cents busbel.
Ten years ago it cost nearly as much to
get a bushel Of grain from Buffolo to New
York as il now docs to carry it from Chi
cago to Liverpool. The influence Of a re-
ducliou Of a cent bushel in transporta-
ton charges would be incredible it we did
not know how narrow is the margin of
profit in the handling Of great staples.
The reduction Of one cent in the Erie
Canal tolls was. followed by an increase in
grain carriage from 29,O00,O 900 bushels to
SO, 000, 900 of bushels. In recent Leg
islative inquiry prominent grain mer-
chant expressed the belief that the aboli-
ton of the remaining one cent toll would
increase the flow Of grain through the
canal to 15O, GOO, 900 bushels q year
Something over half of the entire export
grain trade Of the country is done at the
port of New York, where the elevators
and great warehouses have a storing eapac-
ity Of nearly twenty FIVE million bushels
A very large part of the grain passing
through the city, however, is loaded d.
reetly fom the canal boats into the ocean
steamers. Commonly the loading and un
loading 60 on together, floating elevator
hauling alongside and pouring in the
grain as fast as the outgoing freight is
removed. Usually the canal boats carry
from Eve to seven thousand bushels or