, 1883-04-14
INDIA As 4 WHEAT PRODUCER


,i,n that the United States have, by sir- |
iue Il their surprising natural adsan-
tsges, a na.urai mn,.opoly of the wheat
pr,Aucrion # the world. Our rapid con- |
e.o.;uu If the xorld's needs, our ext.aor-
dirary energy i'll developlug LATENT re-
Sources, the advantage Of position Nth
r.f.r,uc 10 the food markets Of Europe,
aud our rapid and vsst multiplication OF
the nuans of internal, ,rAnsconinen' al
and ,rsnsoceauic ,nexns OF transportation,
have placed us for The present In Posi-
ricu Of Command. That position is i'm
pregnable. or that it belongs to Us by
sort Of national divine right, As seeins
sometimes 10 be assumed, Is, Of course,
absurd. This country has dangerous III
walls in the production of wheat, and
among those whose potential advantages
are great enough to cause US to resAla
them with an anxious eye In future de
velopmeuts, the most prominent possible
competitors for control Of the English
market, where the pric1 Of American
wheat is fixed, are the two British depen-
denotes of India and Australia it may
bs confidently taken for granted that
Great Britain will not remain absolutely
denendent for her food supply upon a
foreign nation one moment longer than is
necessary, and that no labor will be too
great for her if she can thereby stimulate
the production of sheat in provinces
which owe to her political allegiance.
Some farther information with reference
to the resources of India as wheat-pro-
ducing region is nov accessible, and bears
out the assertion previously made, that
this one OF the English dependencies is
bound to become an important factor In
the wheat production Of the world
In a report to the state department,
Mr.. Hans Mattson, consul general of the
United States to Calcutta, has collected
number of interesting facts bearing upon
the question of Indian versus American
wheat. Statistics from that quarter be-
ing almost unattainsble by ordinary
means, these are especially valuable.
From the substance Of his report, it ap-
pears that the production Of wheat in
British India has increased until DOW 1t
reaches nearly 24O, 200, 900 bushels. The
exports, which were only little over l2,-
OOO, 900 bushels in 1877, reached more
than 81 900, 900 bushels in 1882. This is
a development not unworthy Of more
highly civilized state, and to what extent
it may be pushed appears from the fact
that in four principal provinces there are
SO. 900 square miles. or 56, ,OOO, 900 acres
of culturable land yet unimproved, as
against l45, 900 square miles under culti-
vation. What this may be to mean un-
der the prosecution of far-sighted pol
icy by the British government can be bet
ter understood when the circumstances
of cultivation and transportation to mar
ket are taken into consideration. Wheat
culture is principally carried on BY small
farmers, cultivating little patches of from
FIVE to fifteen acres. The implements and
processes used are of the rndest, the con-
dltion of the ryot cultivator being below
that of the worst paid farm laborer in any
continental country. But the population
engaged in agriculture number some 2OO,-
OOO, 600, and labor is held SO cheap that
place Of production for from 80 to GO
cents per bushel. The conditions of cul
tivation have not greatly changed, nor
can they be expected to do 80; but the
amount of the crop may be wonderfully
extended, even If We take the present
prices as the minamum, below which
wheat would not be produced except for
home consumption.
In considering the wheat fields Of India
as possible rivals Of those of America, the
only valid comparison is, of course, be-
tween the cost Of the products of the two
countries in the great central markets Of
the world The quality Of the Indian
berry is undoubtedly inferior at presen.
to that of the American, but it is suscept-
ible of improvement by the selection of
! the best varities for seed. Assuming the
two to be equal in this respect. Mr.. Matt
son states that the actual cost of Indian
standard wheat, from the provinces where
two-thirds OF the wheat is produced, will
average from 81. .16 to s12S per bushel
when laid down in London. Late mar
ket reports show that wheat from the
United States is quoted at 9s cd per cen-
tai, or about 81 40 per bushel. At these
6..urrs the Indian competition would be
sharp The construction Of railways
which is still going on, as well as tho
building of innumerabie canals tor pur-
poses Of both irrigation and transporta-
ton, promises to increase the supply
while slightly diminishing the cost, and
there is hardly room for doubt that Great
Britain is looking hopefully 10 India as
the principal source Of her future food
supply within the limits of her own au-
thurity. With the truly "pauper" labor
which is available there in practically un-
limited quantities, it is not well for the
American farmer to remain in ignorance
of this possible competition, or to look
upon it with disdaiu as possibility too
remote for him to concern himself about
Il
THE MOSES RESERVATION.