The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-17
THE AMERICAN FARMERS GOTH.

hO Vi ht'o hO"hOAO III
the world received more attention nor has
been more rapidly developed than in America.
The wooden mold-board of the fathers clumsy
plows still remain as mementos of the crude
methods of the near past. All the nice ap
pliances for sowing cultivating and reaping
crops have been invented by the generation
still living. The boy who with hoe stumbled
over the clods of fifty years ago now rides
afield on plow and cultivator. The young
fellow who swung the cradle now drives into
the field and cuts and binds the grain without
stirring from his seat. The slow processes of
a generation ago are interesting only as con-
trasts with present methods. In other and
the cradle and scythe are still swung. Ameri-
cans have come to feel that they are kings
among agricultursts. And so they are and
so was Rome mistress of the world, until the
unheard-of Vandals, the Ostrogoths and Visi-
goths swept down on her from the barbaric
North. Before the impact of their remorse-
ACoS AiilpCOuOSltH Lllo ltSlOuS hcHJ
down, and the Imperial City was plundeged and
its glory and power departed forever.
Out of the uttermost parts of the earth
comes now man who threatens American
supremacy as food producer. Up to this
day, armed with a crooked stick, he has
scratched out living from the fertile earth,
Of M fi,oa ca r,Dbo,y,xy oOd tp,.a4obad &c xrbaD
producing an over-crop whereby prices were
run down. Removed so far from the markets
of the more highly civilized Occdent, the
man with the crooded stick has attracted little
attention and created no alarm. Wrapped in
his isolation, and an Incidence the natural
result of favorable climate and marvelously
He sought nointroduction to the world abroad,
and invited no visitors or patrons. But the
latter came in spite of him, overran his coun-
try. conquered his armies, and took possession
of his cities. But the invasion was not an
unmixed evil. The aggressive Briton intro
duced improved implements and brought new
and better methods of tilling the earth, so
that the annual crops were soon trebled in
quantity. This only increased the evil of over
plus and consequent low prices. A big pile of
wheat, with no demand for it, was of no prac
teal value to a farmer who easily subsisted on
a few handfuls of rice day and needed but
the merest apology for apparel. The more
a, invader amin emma to the Indian
farmers aid and built railways to the mar
kets, thus enabling the native farmer
to send his products to the mar
kets of the world. But this was not enough.
Even with this advantage the ports of India
were very remote from those countries where
Indian wheat could be proftably disposed of.
Suez canal was built, bringing the wheat
fields of the Punjab nearer the markets of
Europe by $500 miles, saving nearly equal
to the distance from indianapolis to Liverpool.
This done, the demand for railway transporta
ton in India suddenly increased and the
work of meeting that demand is rapidly pro-
crossing.
The result of all this is becoming apparent.
Ten years ago India exported less than 400,
600 hundred weight of wheat. In 1882 the
export was nearly %, 0O0 900 hundred weight,
OF fifty times as much, and during the first
six months of 1853 it was at rate still greater,
being nearly 16, 900, 900 hundred weight, or at
the rate of 80, OOO 900 hundred weight for the
year But this scarcely touches the actual
amount of wheat produced there, variously
estimated at from $40, 900, 900 to 1000, 900
bushels. And while from so to 40 per cent.
only of the American crop is available for
port, twice as large proportion of Indian
wheat could be exported without injuring the
food supply Of the native farmer. consisting as
it does, mainly of rice and millet. The rail
ways now building and others projected will
swell the volume Of increase of exports from
that region.
All these astounding results have come
from people employing as yet only the
crudeet methods of cultivation. What may
be expected when improved implements take
the place of those now in use is almost be-
yond the power of man to predict. The
central provinces alone are estimated as ca
pable of yielding food supply for 20, 1000 900
more people than they contain, and there
wheat sells at twenty cents per bushel, for
lack of means of transportation. The danger
that threatens our agricultural interests from
that quarter of the world needs no emphasis;
the simplest statement of facts is alarming
The half clad man, with a crooked stick for
nlow is threatening us He is successfully