The Republican journal., 1883-10-04
American Competition with European
Agriculture.

American Competition with European
Agriculture.
This is the tile of a valuable paper in recent
report from the Agricultural Department. 1t
is full of encouragement for the American
farmeT The diminished production of Euro
pean agriculture during the past ten years, and
an increase Of population in the same PERIOD
have caused enlarged demands upon the sur
plus bread and meat products of other cont-
nents. The reduction Of the home supply has
resulted from unfayorable seasons rather than
any extensive loss of area in cultivation. In
Great Britain the Encouragement of continued
failure has somewhat circumscrbcd the wheat
area. These losses have fallen mainly on the
agriculture of Western Europe.
While bad seasons were followed by worse in
Europe, a series of exceptionally productive
years was enjoyed in this country. A surplus
of food products, always large, therefore be-
came Still larger, and prominent share in the
required supply was furnished by the United
States At the same time our railway trans
portatfon rates were wisely reduced to render
possible this increased movement The result
was an unusual foreign export of wheat. corn.
and meats sold at lower rates than European
farmers could afford to accept When their
operations became unprotitable profits were
absorbed capital wasted, and in many cases
bankruptcy followed. Rents declined and leases
were given up.
For years the pressure of this hardship has
borne heavily upon European agriculture; dis
content has increased and remedies have been
sought in change of cropping, scientific and
mechanical aids to production, in government
assistance and protection. But Improvement
has been slow in coming. Almost the first
crumt of comfort to the foreign farmer was
the disaster to American crops in 1891. This
revived the hope that the ability of the Uuitcd
States 10 produce an unlimited srrplu, wa,
| Oyerstated.
royal commission was appointed in Great
| Britain in 1873 to consider the question Of
agricultural distress, which has continued it,
work from year to year, and sent commissions
to this country whose reports have been at
intervals made public. There has been much
talk Of this distress and its causes, Il little un-
willing reduction Of rents, and waiting for
| hoped for ameiioration from natural causes and
the swing of events.
| The foreign farmer is still anNous tn know
whether the United states ,au continue, with
Il rapid increase i'll population to be fed, thj,
cheap supply of the food requirements of Eu-
rope. This immigration adds to the number Of
our fdrmcrS, and so tends to incrca>t. the sup
| ply yet the proportion of farmers to those i'm
other occupations is gradually becoming less.
and Will continue to decrease unrs, cause,
tending to break down other industries should
intervene and crowd the ranks Of agricultural
laborfrs. The proportion Of agricuIjuri-l>
among the occupation, was 4-.35 per crnt .n
| 1870 and 4l.l0 in lSS0. When il shall he >lII
less, agriculture will be more rcmunerutNc
than at present. In those States in which the
proportion Of farmers is least their annual in
come is highest and IN ,rlNa.
The intelligent American farmer understands
that the domestic demand il immca>uraby Of
more impo tance to him than the foreign.
Even during This era Of heavy expectation Of
the RAW products of agriculture, the home con-
sumpE of cereals has been 80 per cent. of the
| entlrd production. Meats more concentrated
products. will better bear expectation. and
may be shipped abroad when grain shipments
may be unprolitablc The extension of wheat
ti.I',, ,.t',','l ,,,;I,..,T "'
,,.h,,,t ,,,,,.,.
ha I'D II - ,'''"''
~ "'''''' II I'i'"'' ""' !" ''''
''''' wv '''''''''7 l'''i''
,:' '''''' 'N 'i''"' SiWu' 'I''>' VIII con-
';NI - "'''''' ''' '''" '''''''
P'oi,0' ''0n w -''-'''-'"
should be produced and means provided for
| kpCuiur t. i'm prrfprt rDuIitinn
,II 7'..,..
,r ',''l' .'''' Ut ~ ''f''''', ~
| ' 7'""""' ''' '"'''' III Fl"-l'N>'' HHI'i""N