New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-23

II i not improbable that this year may bring
the competition between American and Euro
pean farmers to n crisis " hen crops are bad
abroad and abundant here, AZ in lS19-'SO, the
foreign producer may console himself with the
thought that the circumstances art exceptional.
Expecting them to improve, be- is not likely TO
abandon the effort Ia grow wheat. In 1850 81,
also though crops were tolcrably good in Eng
land aud France. they were 50 bad IN Russia
and PORTIONS of Germany. and the demand for
the rcplcns hmcnt of exhausted stores was 80
great. that the circumstances were still cIccp-
ronal II is not supposed that farmers abroad
have diminished the acreage >oWn, and there Is
no rca>un ~ yet 10 doubt that full average crops
NAY reward their cNcrtons. But the prospect
now il that the acreage sOWn M this country
will hc greatly increased. Oregon and Cali
fnruia promise cnormous crops and have ON
hand moreover. an immense surplus from last
Nclr The winter wheat state, of the West,
according. 10 tie latest reports. have fair reason
to expect % ylcld nearly or quite ~ great ~
that of last year. II the season permits the
I,Intiug and ripruiug of a fair crop of spring
wheat ai~o-aud IN spite of the gloomy talk OF
,our Spectators. there l. nothing ~ yet to war
rant different cNpcctItluu-thi~ country VIII
have nloi, than 2Ou.uOu, ouo bushels of wheat
To- -.l while tho deficiency ia Europe may hc
much les Cham that quantity. In that event
lh, weakest viii -o 10 the wall.
Distance IT, the only element If weakness in
ihc po,tion of Am,Iiran pioduc,rs The state
m,ut- of cost ol produruou which were given
in the report of the British Agricultural In
tcrc,is Commission" in l~-O. have not been
I.tt ltttt and has Dps
frankly admitted in England that grain pro-
duccd at such a cost, and transported NJ the
rate. then in force, could bc sold in English
towns AT a profit for less than the bare cost of
grow ing wheat on English farms. But in these
calculations. the average cost of producing IN
the Far West was estimated ut - cents per
buahcl, and vast quantity of wheat Is raised IN
this country al lower cost. The average cost
of transportation To Liverpool exclusive of 3i4
cents for handling in this country and TIA cents
for Liverpool charges WAS put AT 30 cents per
bushrl. viz. 20 cents from the farm Ia Chicago,
l5Io cents thence to New York, and liz cents
from Ncw-lork to Liverpool. The charges
now. though navigation is not yet open. are ID
cents from 81. Paul to Chicago, - cents from
Chicago to New York, and less than 10 cents
from Ncw-York to Liverpool. Even this low
rate will he greatly reduced, whenever 1t be-
comes necessary in order Ia secure market for
the surplus grain of the Far West Indeed
even now grain is being moved from 81. Louis
and st. Paul to Liverpool at less cost than from
the Mississippi River 10 New York.
A single tug has just taken 300 tons of
grain from st. Louis in bargcs on the way to
New Orleans With an ordinary stage of water
the charge is said to be . cents n bushcl from
81. Louis, and - cents from st. Paul Much
more than half the grain exported crosses the
Mississippi River. The actual cost of trans
porting by bargcs is said to be little more than
half the rates now charged, so that if it were
necessary in order to secure "A market abroad,
more than lOO, OOO, 900 bushels of grain could
be moved down the river for less than cents
Per bushc fram st. Louis. Hitherto, lack of
facilities and Of shipping at New-Orlcans has
restricted the movement. But charters have
actually been made in this city, within the past
week. for vessels to take grain from New
Orleans to Liverpool at siXpenco, or II cents, per
bushcl
If surplus grain is moved even now for not
more than II cents per bushcl from 81. Louis
to Liverpool, whereas the present cost by rail
from st. Louis To New York is about 20 cents,
the British farmer has not yet felt the full force
of American competition. From st. Paul TO
Liverpool the present cost is u cents. whereas