The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-25

The continued growth of our foreign
grain trade is a subject for both astonish
! ment and qualification. 1t has come ur
from small beginnings, and where we for
merly imported breadstuffs, we now export
| more than we consume.
I The International Recieso for November
| in an article ON "Our exports of Bread
stuffs, shows that our exports of wheat
for the six years from 1876 to 1881, inclu
sive, were larger, both in bulk and value
than our total exports of wheat for the
fifty-five years preceding 1875, and thai
our exports Of corn for the past six years
were nearly as great in bulk and create,
in value than for the total of the proceed
ing f1fty-five years.
From 1920 to 1876, inclusive, our total
export of wheat for the fifty-five years was
515, III, 0S8 bushels, for which we got
1856, 1874, $50, or an average of $1.33
per bushel. From 1876 to 1881, inclu
sive, our total of exports of wheat for
the six years were 500, s62, 1916 bushels,
for which We got 300, 279, 819, or
an average of $1.1s per bushel.
s We exported during the tifty-tive years
ending with 1876 of Indian corn $50, 1885,
500 bushels, for which we got $263, &c.
gS8, AN average of $0.74 per bushel; while
in the six years ending In 1881 we exported
4S1, 531 ,632 bushels of corn, for which we
got $267 1886, 148, or an average of $O55
per bushel Meanwhile the export of flour
and of corn meal has increased in much
smaller ratio. In 1895 the manufactured
flour constituted 99.61 per cent of oul total
export of wheat, while during the past six
years it has averaged only 1873 per cent of
the wheat export Up to 1875 wheat
exported rather larger value in flour than
in wheat during fifty-fve years, but during
the six years since that date our export of
-four is only $3.50, 1876, 1872 in value, against
an export of $700,27 SO in value of
wheat, or about one-fifth flour to four-fifths
wheat, So our export of corn meal from
1920 to 1910 exceeded in value our export
of corn, but for the whole fifty-five years
ending in 1875 the corn meal export
to only $51 ZOO, 1913 in value,
against an export of $263, SIG, 98S of corn,
and for the five wears ending in 1881 the
total export of corn meal figured at only
81, 452, COZ in value. against an export of
corn amounting to $685., 1855, 14e,
Now. compare the relative growths of
our home and foreign markets, as respects
heir ability to consume our wheat pre-
inct.
In the four years, 1886, 1887 1888, and
1889, we did not produce wheat enough
'or our own consumption, but imported
rom England. Germany and Holland to
upply our deficiency. In 1887 over 100
vessels arrived at the port of Baltimore
lone laden with wheat and -four from
iermany and Holland, though England |
llso sent few cargoes-
During those four years we exported
sss than 125, 900 BUSHELS In all AL of |
7hich went over into Canada In 1910 |
re exported IL ,e0S, 365 bashels Of wheat,
nd consumed 7s, 615. 807 bushels, or near
7 six and half times as much as our ex-
ort. In 1910 our consumption was
we've times as much as our export. In
800 we exported 1928, 1873 bnsfels.
gainst domestic consumption OF 90
80 043, our foreign market being 20 our
ONE market as 10 Q. In 1857 onx for