The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-11-01
GRAIN.eR0WING COUNTRIES.
Interesting Report by the United
States Consul at Copen-
hagen.
The Grain Producing and Grain-Con.
Stunning Countries of the World.

Henry b. Snyder, United States Consul at
Copenhages, has submitted to the Depart
ment OF State at Washington, a very interest
ing report on the grain-producing and grain
consuming countries. He says that by divid-
ing these countries under the category OF
grain-exporting and grain-importing places,
and putting them i'm their order according to
the relative extent OF their supplies for ex-
port, or again for the magnitude Of their re-
0Sirements, he obtains the two following
lists: First, rs grain-eXporting landslide
United States, Russia, Austria-Hungary, the
Danubian Provinces, British East Indies,
Denmark, Algiers, Australia, Egypt, Spain,
Canada, Chill and Sweden. As grain-import-
ing lands-Greas Britain, France, Germany,
Belgium, Switzerland Holland, Italy, Nor
way, Portugal and Greece.
On the list of grain-exporting lands the
United States ranks pre-eminently first and
foremost. Not so many years have elapsed
since Russia occupied this position, and, in
1877, these two countries were about on an
equal footing, but in the later years the
United States has largely surpassed Russia.
These large supplies from the United States
naturally had great influence upon the Eu-
ropean grain markets, and the severe Crisis,
which the farming interests in SO many parts
of Europe are now passing through, is doubt
less due TO this severe competition. Many
writer's on this side of the water seem to be OF
theppinion that the eliminating point has now
been reached, that the virgin soils OF the
Western States will shortly be exhausted,
and that with a largely increasing pop
ulation In the States, and with u called-for
use of artificial manures on the soil, the eX-
port surplus will be diminished and the cost
of production so much augmented that Euro
pean farmers viii not long have to contend
against this formidable competition. These
views, in his opinion, will scarcely be real
lied. There is still in our Western States an
enormous area OF fertile virgin soil ready to
be brought under the pillow by annually-in-
creasing immigration, and IL is more likely
that the eliminating point may only be
looked for in Il very remote future.
The CONSTANT Embarrassing competition of
the United States, combined with the political
disturbances in the Balkan peninsula, and
the bad harvests of 1879 and 1850, have con-
duced i'm great measure TO lessen the infiu-
ence of Russian supplies on the worlds grain
markets,
Austria-Hungary is likewise mainly an
agricultural land, and, with its fertile soil
and not overdense population, will doubtless
for long time be able TO rank among the
gran-exporting countries.
Until Il few years back attention In the
British East Indian territory was mostly con-
centrated on the production of rice, other
cereals being cultivated to very slight ex-
tent; but since 1871 the cultivation and eX-
port Of Indian wheat has largely increased.
In England attention is now being strongly
directed TO the furtherance of all possible
means through an improved transport sys-
tenn, either of canal or railways, TO an in
creased cultivation Of wheat, SO that eventu-
ally India may be in position To compete
with tho United States on the European grain
markets.
The grain production of Australia does not
appear to have made such progress as was
expected. Wheat alone is shown 10 yield a
exports go to England, which in 1880 received
about 100000 quarters, the largest quantity
yet reached.
Egypt, which in remote ages was the most
important OF agricultural lands, has still her
natural resources; but the disastrous tax sys-
tenn prevents all developments of agriculture,
which Is mainly OF wheat, and scarcely ex-
ceeds 5000 quarters.
GRAIN-IMPORTING COUNTRIES.
Turning next to the list of grain-importing
lands it will be seen that Great Britain stands
prominently forward in the first rank at Il
pace increasing year by year, and due TO
three causes, namely: The large annual
increase of population, that more bread is
now consumed by the people than formerly,
and, lastly. that wheat cultivation, owing TO
unremunerative prices, is yearly reduced,
the wheat lands being either sown with other
cereals, or else turned into pasture land.
Even with the most favored harvests, the
home crops do not afford more than six
months supply, and the remainder has to be
looked for in Importation; but still, with
these large imports, the price of wheat is less
now than when England depended mainly
upon her home supplies in former times, and
England is probably less exposed at the
present day To danger OF suffering from
dearih than in the days of its home supplies.
In France, although the yield of crops has
increased during the last fifty years, still 1t is
only in exceptionally good harvest years that
the home supply is sufficient for its own re-
quirements, and during the last three un-
favorable seasons heavy importation has
been required. These imports are chiefly OBJ
tanned from Russia and the United States.
In Germany, where agriculture may be
considered as Of high standard even this
country is unable 10 support its population
with breadstufs from its own supplies. These
supplies were i'm the first instance entirely OBJ
tanned from Russia, but now they are likewise
received from Hungary.