The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-21
Indian and American wheat.
San Francisco Chronicle.l


We are now enabled. from the report OF
Consul General Leonard, of Calcutta TO form
a reliable estimate OF the wheat production
of British India in 1884. The area under
cultivation is said to be 26, GOO. 600 acres and
the product pa 900, 600 bushels, or 90 bush
els TO the acre. TIE, acreage planted to
wheat in California this year was about
100000 and the product about 100000
bushels, or 49, bushels to the acre. The
total acreage planted to wheat n the United
States is about 40, 900, 600 and the yield this
year was about 100000 bushels-say
nearly Is bushels to the acre. British India
has thus considerably over half as many
acres in wheat as the United States, and pro.
duces nearly one-half as large crop. Last
year the crop of India was recsoned at 290,-
900, eco bushels.
Notwithstanding the cheapness of labor in
India and the fertility OF the soil, the calcu-
latiOn Of wheat growers in that country is
that it costs them to raise wheat and ship it
10 Delhi, which, like Chicago is the primary
l. cents pound. This is about what it
costs here-if anything trifle more. When,
as at present wheat at Delhi will not resllzs
as much as this, the Indian farmer holds
back his crop in view OF the possibility of a
future famine. Delhi ia nearly the same
distance from Calcutta that Chicago is from
New York. But the freight from Delhi is 81
cents per GENITAL, as against 70 cents, which is
the freight from Chicago TO New York;
quarter of a cent O pound. Here is another
advantage enjoyed by the American pro-
Queer. 1t looks as if Mr.. Card was not far
wrong when he said that British India could
not afford TO grow wheat IN competition with
the Northwest and California any more than
1t can afford to compete with the Southwest
ern States in the growth OF cotton.
1t ia Just about ten years since British IN
dia began to ship wheat to Eng and. In
1S77-78 it shipped 1900 600 bushels; in
81 the shipments were Il, 000, 00o BUSH
els; lSS1-S2 81, 900 600 bushels, and in 1882
IS about 43 0O0, 900 bushels The great de.
cline in the price OF wheat, which began
last year, checked the business, and in the
first six months of 1884 the shipments were
only IL, 125, 600 bushels, as against 20, 5l3 600
bushels in the corresponding months OF
1883 The consumption OF India is reckoned
200, 900 900 bushels leaving A 900, 600 avail
able for export-nearly one-hslt Englsnd's
requi- enents from abroad But it is evi
dent that with a prime cost of Si.33 per
GENITAL al Delhi, and freight OF thlrty-f0uT
cents from that point to the seaboard, IL
dis can not compete with Chicago or San
Francisco,
Wheat growing in India depends in some
parts on the monsoon rains, in others upon
irrigation. We know in this State that with
anything like present prices il the cost oil
irrigation has got to be added to the other
/ costs of growing wheat, the industry will moi
pay. Under the present unthrifty govern
ment OF India as British colony, expendi
quate return. But this can not last forever
1t will never pay, as a commercial operation
to keep up a system of irrigation for tbs
purpose of raising wheat to be sold at J, ceni
! pound, which is likely to be the average
ruling price hereafter.