The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-07-14
WHEATS.
A Powerful and Dangerous Competitor
with America.

A Powerful and Dangerous Competitor
with America.
The rapid progress British India Is
making In the production and expectation
Of wheat has recently been brought to no
rlce by the last report of our Consul Gen
eral at Calcutta. 1t appears that about
20, 100000 acres are now devoted to wheat
culture IN India, with an estimated annual
yield of considerably over 2000OO,O00
bushels, of which last year 81 DOC, 900 were
exported. The Vermont Waterman, no.
ticing these facts, we'll says: THE wheat
fields Of America may have in England's
Indian provinces a competitor in Euro
pean markets which will compel the far
mers to employ every means to cheaper
production, and the railways to reduce
the cost OF transportation, to maintain
hold upon the foreign demand" With its
outspreading system OF railways, already
about 5000 miles in length, the navigation
OF the Ganges for steamers now extended
TO Cawnpoor with canal $50 miles long
making navigation possible to Hardwar,
300 miles from the sea, the farmers OF
Northern India will soon have ample and
cheap transportation facilities to enable
them to get their surplus wheat into
European markets. If, with these advan.
tages and climate not subject to extremes
of cold, the rude methods Of Indian agri-
culture were replaced by more modern
systems, India could easily become for
mldable competitor with America IN the
worlds wheat markets.
But the most significant fact for the con.
sideratiOn of American wheat growers,
who imagine that they can always cont.ol
the foreign wheat market, Is the result OF
some recent experiments made IN England
to test the qualities of Indian wheat. In
October last the Secretary Of State tor In
dia instructed milling firm of London to
institute series of experiments to ascer-
tain how far Indian wheats compared as to
the yield and the quality OF -four with
American and other supplies. The Lon
don Economist OF the 9th ult. gives com
plete and detailed account of the results OF
these tests. In the experiments four varie.
ties of Indian wheat, American winter and
spring and California varieties, two kinds
of Russian and Turkish, and one of Eng
llsh, Australian and New Zealand were
experimental on. The result is thus sta
ted "The unprecedented yields of flour as
shown by these -four Indian) wheats,
ranging 10y ordinary grlnding) from n AS
to S052 per cent, against English 6j2 and
American spring 72.2, speak volumes in
their favor, and their value is still further
increased by another point of merit of al.
most equal Importance, VIZ: larger per.
centage of bread may be obtained than
from any other of the tlouIs included in
review" Two hundred and eighty
pounGs of Indian flour yielded on the
average 1868 pounds of bread; the same
weight of California flour, 1854; American
winter wheat flour, 34G, and spring wheat
flour, 3j4 While the quality Of the bread
made from American flour seems to have
been IN some respects superior, the great
drynesS and sOundncss OF the Indian
wheas render them invaluable" ut is said,
"for admixture with English wheats that
are in any degree out of condition through
moisture" If American wheat Is to
MAINTAIN It's hold ON European markets
against the competition likely 10 te soon
developed by It's eastern rival It Will We
necessary to extend our system OF free
canals and to rid our farmers Of all uH.
necessary burdens now imposed on them
by the tariff system of the country.