Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-28
OUR HERITAGE.
THE UNITED STATES AS VIEWED
FROM SPANISH STANDPOINT.
mcnds Ameris an Methods, and
Urges the Same for Spain.

Translated from the Dtdrio dc Barcelona SPAIN.
for the RECORD USIos, by Samuel H. Gerrish.
Under the heading Of "The Agricult-
ural Labor Competition with the United
States" the following article appeared
in the above Spanish journal
The factors of the terrible agricultural
problem are many, that need for their So
luton not alone the aid of the Govern
ment, but the manly effort of all the
Spaniards.
The Government and the Cortes must
promulgate, without delay, laws of protec-
tion, purge the Administration Of fraud
and Tighten the country of its burden and
taxes. But the Spanish have to execute
rightly the laws-worlIing the ground,
subOrning and conoealing, and developing
a work, active and intelligent, not forget
ing that the people toll for the Govern
ment debt.
One of the principal factors Of the agri-
cultural problem IS, without question,
foreign competition. They arrive at our
ports nearly always under a foreign flag,
bringing cargoes Of wheat and other
cereals, dry vegetables that are cheap in
the markets from which they come, and
the ease and low price of transportation,
they compete with similar productions OF
this country
The general data of cereal importation
into Spain are well known, and it is UNI
necessary 10 reproduce them; but the fol-
lowing official data that we have seen gives
for the single port of Barcelona that there
has entered since 1870 wheat valued at more
than S25,000000, increasing in amount
each five years. The annual average that
was only 100000 in the years 1870 to
1874, to-day is upward of more than So 600,
600.
They also see at the port of the first
agricultural province of Spain barley, rye
and other cereals, valued at more than
100000 annually; and what is more
serious, the same dried foreign vegetables
that before 1880 were rdrd aris at our
wharves, in the seven years they have
been imported to the value of more than
$2,500,000.
The agriculturists and contractors,
whose voices are the most conspicuous
statisticians of our country, clamor for an
increase in the import duty before the
growing wave OF foreign products. Well
they may. Since the pain of that study is
the foundation of their fears, it can scarcely
be outlined at too high mark, and with
the assistance of the official data (&) the
picture shows one of the first agricultural
nations Of the world the United States.
The painting could not be more rich and
splendid. A fertile virgin country, irri-
gated by plentiful rivers and canals, with
lands appropriate for all they cultivate,
of more than 100000 Of square kilometers
i'll extent, populated by a race, strong, ener-
getic and active, of 100000 of inhabit-
ants receiving each year the contingent
OF an immigration that reaching in half
century to thirteen millions, the greater
part of young men, robust and full of life.
1t is realized in the North American
people all the marvellous industries, and
they bud as by enchantment, the greatest
and attractive companies, in the warmth
of activity, intelligence and affiuence of
capital. In 1885 they had 100000
kilometers of railroads in operation that
to-day is over 100000 kilometers,
and is found crossed by telegraph lines OF
263,O0O kllometers, without counting
the wires ofthe railroads, Government and
particular, and they had besides a tele-
phone service that at the end of 1888 was
l93 kilometers and ascends to-day to 800,
600.
There occurs in the United States the
singular case of existing a surplus in the
national treasury of twenty-five to thirty
millions of dollars annually, and that on
the 30th day of last June they reduced
the national debt by $91 100000. The ex-
penses diminish each year, there existing A
difference between 1885 and 1886 of seven
teen and a half millions of dollars in favor
of the last year, and an increase in the in
come of Sl2,500,000, or it may be a benefit
of S30,000,000 in 1889.
This is marvellous The amount col
lected ut the Custom houses increases every
year, and in the year 1886 reached the
sum of Sl93,000,000 and the bill of esti-
mates for the War Department, that in
1885 was but Sl6,000000; in 1886 was
only Sl3000000.
As the foundation of this prodigious pic
ture of the richness of the United States
appears the rich and flourishing agricult-
ure. We will throw to one side the cotton.
Tor we have no similar. product in our
country, and that in 1886 had in cultiva-
tlon near nineteen millions of acres of
land which produced G,225,000 bales: we
Will look principally to the cereals and
wine
The immense prairies of the West are
now being sown with the cereals and the
production is already fabulous. I have
here the results of official data:
Wheat cultivated in 1871, S,06S. Us hec-
tares in 1850, l4,579,OO4. or an increase
in the decade of so per cent.
praln.fin,, - :
quintais; in 1850, 49,, 1868, 900, or an in
crease Of $50 per cent.
The American expectation of cereals
that In 1850 was 100000 quintals, in 1881
was more than 64,000,000 The exporta-
ton OF wheat in 1886 was 100000 of
bushels, and 100000 of corn.
The cultivation of wheat In California
alone offers data worthy of serious medi-
tation. 1t issa virgin country of such
wonderful fecundity that the employment
OF manure and other fertilizing agents for
the land are entirely unknown.
There are in that region sc, 200 900 acres
OF land watered by the Sacramento and
San joaquin rivers, marvelously appropri-
ate for The cultivation of cereals. In 1882
they sowed 2,9S7, 900 acres and in 1888
they raised the cipher to 3,145,0
As the Belgian Consul informs us, TO-
V00, acres of choice bread-bearing land
which, in years of good harvest, produces
twenty-five or thirty bushels per acre.
Well, then, if the 100000 acres are
sown as 1t is certain, as points the giddy
activity of that country, they NAV proper
tlon the growing quantity to 25e. 900
bushels, or 100000 tons of wheat.
The cost of cultiyating an acre of wheat
Is estimated, by first labor, sowing, plow-
ing, harvesting, etc, when placed in
sacks, at IS So. In the great plantations.
where they employ machinery, the work
OF cultivating and harvesting is made on
grand scale, and the cost Of cultivation
and harvest will not exceed Sc so per
acre. The cultivation is realized in the
United States with conditions impossible
70 the Old Continent. In the southwest
OF Louisiana is one of the vast territories
OF the agricultural world developed by a
society of New York. Its extension il ie0
kiiometers long by 10 wide. The general
director of this colossal company. NJ. J
Watkins, writes, in the Missouri. that the
company was organized in 1888. buyinp
lands OF the State. They are pasture
lands and will feed $4,000 head The
American company divided their vast do
main into ranches at nine and ten kiIo-