Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-10-13

WHEAT COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
THE wheat districts are Indicated by n W
In 1857 the range was 81 25 TO 81 .D5, and
In 1853 81 20 TO IL 80, and tho decline was
curiously coincdent with the declining
yield per acre. In 1864 thero was II crop
exceeding all previous experience, vet
prices rose; and nv 1865 and 1865 fairly
good crops sold at the highest price, ever
realized. Even on gold basis prices
were phenomenally high. Tho largest
crop, proportioned TO population, ever
produced In the United States was In 1879;
yet prices ranged 20 per cent. higher than
the preceding year, and higher than in
any subsequent year with one exception
The repeal Of the British corn laws"
In 1S40, of course, gave an impulse TO
American exports. and by 1860 the foreign
market became somewhat important; yet
the total of all agricultural exports was
but $123, sos, sos The growth thereafter
was remarkably regular-the Crimoan war
making no such difference rs Is generally
supposed and the American civil war
-AaA}Aing very lttle-till 1873, then the
whed export from tho United States be.
gan u Nncreaso with n rapidity that set
all forMNy calculations Mt naught, rising
till its volume exceeded $500, ,OO0,00 per
year, rising till in nine years the total cx
ceeded that of all previous years since tho
republic was established and the favor.
able balance Of trade" thus created went
near TO 81 600 100000 In lS73-S9, in.
elusive, one-fouirh of the total exports
from the United States werc of wheat
and -four, and the grand aggregate may
be set In round numbers at ! 200 900 600
bushels 1t was the f,Nmers' wheat that
made specie resumption easy and created
the flush times" of 1S79-S3 And then
began that extraordinary development In
other countries which must now be care.
fully studied.
India, for tho purposes of this inquiry,
means British India; and in that depend.
ency the British have constructed somo
10000 miles of railway and many canals,
both for navigation and irrigation Il IA
surprise indeed TO learn that there arc
In ono tract about 80, 600 square miles Of
land capable OF producing wheat that can
be made productive by canals now in pro.
cess OF construction, and that at tho very
time there was famine on one side Of
India wheat and rice on the other side
went to waste for mere want of transpor-
tation. 1t is clearly demonstrated that
the land already under the,plow in India
can furnish abundant food for the total
population and wheat for export to the
value Of $4,000 900, and that the British
sre fast supplying the means Of ;rauspor.
tation, which was all that was lacking.
Add TO this the fact that 125, 900 square
miles OF good land In that country are still
undeveloped. and the possibilities Of it,
wheat export will DO plain
Other statisticians estimate that when
the proposed canals are completed, India
can easily export over 200, 900, 900 bushels
Of wheat-all that produced on fertile
soil by men who work for eight cents per
day, and transported TO England at cost
but six cents bushel greater than from
the American coast.
The Argentine Republic Is new ex.
porter of wheat, though Chilli has been
known in that line 10 Americans since it
supplied the first miners In California;
but the Republic contains GOO, 900 square
miles and less than 100000 people, and
is increasing its grain product with aston.
ishing rapidity. Between 1850 aud 1876
the exports increased more than four fold
Ia quantity and six fold in value. Yet
wheat was scarcely mentioned in them bo-
fore 1870. Then the development became
surprisingly rapid. Six extensive rail
road lines are in operation, and the scenes
as they advance upon the plains are much
like those seen in the opening Of farms
and building Of towns along the various
Pacific railways. Over $l00, 600, 900 of
British capital have been invested in
few years, and 1000 Scotch and Irish
have located in single state Of the Re,
public. In report to the home govern
ment on their condition the Irish, seven
years ago, returned the sheep owned by
them at 20. 900. 600
Anstralia's possibilities Of wheat export
are equally undetermined, but known 20
be Immense. OF northwestern Canada, II
Is hardly possible to assign a limit that
VIII seeIn reasonable. Last year line