The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-05-22

covering the best soils Of Oregon
and Washington, will preelude any
rapid Increase In those states. Dur
ing the ninth decade the Dakotas
witnessed the most rapid con version
Of wild lands into wheat fields that
the world has ever known; and
these fields now furnish large part
Of the expOrtsble surplus, aud tend
to keep the prices near the stsrva-
ton point. The Dnkotas and the
mountain aud Pacific regions in
clude the only aieas where the
wheat acreage does not show . dim
mutton; and In these districts the
gain IL not likely To equal tbs losses
elsewhere, as the wheat nelds have
already Invaded the arid regions
where crop failure Is the rule. In
deed, competent authorities declare
that profitable wheat culture IL I'M
possible without irrigation In the
| Dakota, or In the possessions be-
tween the 10th meridian aud the
western slopes Of the Cascade meun-
tains. notwithstanding the great
additions TO the area In the De kotas,
the wheat fields OF 1859 covered
,3j2, O28 acres less than did those Of
1Ssl, and were but l3I, AZ acres
greater than those Of nine years be-
fore. As there are no more Dakotss
TO be exploited, wheat-groviDg has
evidently reached and passed Its
limit, aud expectation will grow
less and less until domestic require
ments shall absorb our entire pro-
/ duct Of this cereal. That such will
soon be the case follows from the
complete occupation of the winter
wheat area, where other crops are
constantly encroaehing upon wheat
fields, ~ In the spring wheat regions
east Of the Dakotss; and even there
the fields longest cropped show
clear signs Of exhaustion, aud must
bt. recupeTated by q system Of
rotation that will prevent any mater
iaI addition to the wheat supply.
Spectators In Canadian lands and
politics nave reiterated the widest
statements about an area unlimited
In extent aud fertility and capable
of supplying the world with wheat,
lying fallOw Just north OF the na-
tiOnal boundary. IL 10 now well es-
tablished that the area where profit
able wheat culture IL possible, In
Manitoba aud the AssinibOine re-
giOn, IL included In q tract less than
no miles from east TO west and ex-
tending north less than 100 miles.
This Canadian wheat region has
been settled many years, yet the
product IL still very limited, as 10
shown In the following extract from
the Montreal Star, OF January y,
1850:
W. W. Ogilvie Is on his way back
from Manitoba aud the northwest,
after having purchased practically,
all the western Canadian wheat
crop. The securing Of the crop by
the OgilvIe milling company was
not such q big job rs might be
thought. II took but 81 ,5OO,OOO to
work the deal, which was for cash.
There Is unquestionably q fine
wheat region north Of the state Of
Washington, but many years must
be occupied In removing great for
est groWths before much wheat can
Ice produced. When our population
Is such as TO require more wheat,
limited additions as to the area can
be made 10y subjecting to cultiya-
ton 80 much of plain and mountain
n is susceptible of irrigation; but
Increase from such irrigated lands
will he slow, even II the national
government unwiseIy commits itself
10 costly irrigation schemes.
We must not wait, however, till
complete eUuilibratiOn OF product
ion and domestic consumption for
return Of fair prices, rs Great Bri-
tain alone requires 10000, 900 bush
els Of wheat annually to supplement
| a home uTndurt steadily diminish
inv while the requirements as stead
/ iIy augment. But a few years since
| II va. widely predicted that the un-
| limited ransciiy of India 10 produce
rbssp wheat would deprive US Of A
market for ,ur own surplus, but
/ these predictions have failed as eum-
| nIpt.Iy a. the assurances that India
/ would furnish the world with all the
cotton required. Neither the area.
| nor the IfndurI. nor the average an
| nuaI shipment OF Indian wheat has
Increased during the last six years
An outcome entirely consonant with
| tLs character of n peOple whose
modes of hushandry and whose In
| tsIIivsur. hear the impress Of MANY
| centuries of mental torpOr. Iu Aus
| traJIa there bs. been no increase Of
| IN. pxnortabIe surplus uf wheat
since Isss: and Il will he many
yesr. before the Argentine Republic
| can send abroad a large volume Of
| this cereal. the estimates Of the ISsU
surplus for exportl In that country
ranging from 3.UO.OOD TO T,OO,OO
bushels and the entire product iu
Issq beinV but n 80 OOp bushels.
with constantly augmentIng pop
uIaIion Great Britain and western
| Enrnne will soou require more wheat
than the exportInR countries will
furnish while priees remain near
the present level. Meantime, our
requirements increasing annually at
| The rate Of 10 .OOO, 600 bushels, and
s spsss ~ tend 10 ri.e rapidly q