The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
WHEAT PRODUCTION.
Our Cheap Lands and Machine CultiVa-
lion Have ReVOluIiOniEed Farming.
rom "a Baltimore limerican.

From the Baltimore 1mericGn.
Enormous as is our production of wheat,
and immense as is the quantity shipped abroad
beyond the home supply, there is but small
area of our lands under cultivation; and yet
we produce now double the wheat raised by
any other nation on the globe. In 1850 las
remarked by the Boston CHitirdfor1 the pro
duction of wheat in this country was 100, 49,
944 bushels; in 1860, lT2,643, lS5; IN 1870,
2S7, 745, $40, and in 1880, 459, 419, 800 bushels.
In 1889 Ohio was the greatest wheat growing
state: now Illinois takes the lead, raising an
nually upwards of $4,000, 600 bushels. The
wheat growing industry has been steady NOV
ing West for more than halfa century. West
ern New York and Eastern Pennsylvania were
once the great wheat sections. Then OHIO
had its turn Afterwards Indiana. Southern
Michigan. Northern Illinois and Wisconsin
made wheat the chief crop, to be succeeded
by Iowa. and now by Minnesota, Nebraska
and Dakota. Beyond the Rocky Mountains,
in Oregon and Washington Territory, new
wheat country of immense extent is beng
slowly developed: but on the Atlantic side OF
the continent the area where wheat farming
is the hiefindustry will not be pushed much
beyond the present limits of Dakota. The
rich lands in the Valley of the Red River OF
the North and the vast rolling plains of Dako-
ia and Manitoba are evidently destined to be
aperrnanent granary, like Hungary and South
ern Russia.
Il is a remarkable fact that before the late
war our exports of -four largely exceeded the
exports of wheat in its natural state. This
order of things was entirely changed between
1860 and 1865, and from that period down to
1880 the exports of -four showed a steady de-
crease in the percentage of the total shipments
of wheat During the past eighteen months
the percentage of -four exports has made
moderate gain. The milling interest OF the
United States is of vast proportions. and the
probabilities are that the improvements made
within the last ten wears, and which, We are
glad to find. has reached our city and state by
our enterprising millers, is likely TO produce
a considerable change for the better IN work
ing off our great cereal by securing TO our
country not only the profits on the raw mate
rial, but also upon the manufactured article.
Heretofore, remarks our contemporary, we
have been content TO ship our wheat IN its
original condition. leaving 10 Europeans the
profit of turning it into -four; but present IN
dications points to a constant enlargement OF
the -four trade and corresponding decrease
in the shipments Of wheat. The nited States
consul at Bristol. England. Is sanguine IN the
belief that American high grade -four will ere
long take almost complete control OF the Eng
fish market. The English journals, however,
arr Of opinion that their own millers vail
speedily come to a realizing sense OF the si''
uation and improve their work accordingly.
In lSs0, our exports OF wheat were l9S,2a
7a5 bushels. and Of -four 6.lll,4l9 barrels
Last year the record Of exports shows ~
45i, 10 bushels of whcs; and 5,sI4, 4sl bar
rels Of -four, or total value Of upward OF
s2l0. 100000.
The great complaint with as 81 late years
has been tina, We should no, be content With
the profits Of our products shipped abroad.
but that We should also ENJOY the advantages
Of the carriage thereof 10 their foreign dest'-
nations. bat that this advantage Is denied us
in consequence of the existing system oi our
apa-hqnss.s, which will not permit us "a
compete With the nayigaiors Of other eeun-
tries We haya oar aEn well-defnrd NIcSs
nran this question, which il - nos necessary
here 90 debate; baI IN the matter Of shipping
Cur manufactures II which. IN place oi lArge
portion of the grain, ~ can probably resllEe
the wished for profit On both IN spite 81 all
the efforts 81 oar f,arrisn competitors ina fair
field.
The healthy growth and sieadiness Of our
experts in wheat and -four Is guarantee that,
with favored harvests aud Increased acTrage,
oar grain exports viii become almost tahu-
Ions Better grain lands do uot exis; IN the
world. and oar people, aided by the millions
of industrious farmers cusning from kaFuPc,
are each war a.ldiHg val TegGHs TO the hand
IL the reaper. Oar cheap lands and machine
cultivation have FcyoluiioniEed farming over
the entire world. and this revolati0a = a per
manens one. waiting only ON cheaper methods
~ transportation % make u siill mere radical.
Enriand Is not uur unly customer Sos wheat
sbTaaa. Belgium took q. ossl. 600 bushels % "a
in ls7o. France in lssi0tolk hnI - 900 hnsh.
els II as. while in 1872 she hoaghs t2,Usa.0o
bushels IL American wheat l.cadon nov
controls the wheat market 81 Earupe, but Ou
the other hand her awn market i controlled
by Ia, wheat Eelds 81 the I nitca States. %
Great Britain imported wheat last year hfe
per eest- came FROM Russia, six per cent from
India. eight par eeai- fr0m Aas,rsiia, seven
ror ernt. from British Amertea, thsrc per
cent, from EGYPT, three per ccHi. from Chiii,
thrpe neF cent. from Germany and sIxsy.hvc
psr cent. from shs United States. There y
no good reason WHY other wheat. buying coun'
tries shoeld mol he supplied from the United
States in the same proportion that tiyeai Brs-
tain i. and there are visible Signs that this
viii soon be effected. There arr nos tcwer
than teu European countries, which must bay
4 t.ssz 81 the grain they consume. II Wtsh bat
81. go. COO acres 81 land in wheat Ne can nov
support $1,000. 600 Of oar o~n people, and
send about To-, 100000 81 SPARE Bushels
abroad. what uill ne have fpr export when
al territories Of American wheat land shail