Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-04-02

| W MS tiIttnUuS dS even now he II
so very numerous that they know moi
what use to put him to, ard much of the
land already in cultivation is of such low
fertility as barely to enable the cultivatol
TO exc out Il most miserable existence.
Although the population of India is
some $50, 600 200. there are less than 500.
QUO horses and mules in the empire, mostly
employed by the military and civil serv-
ice of the governmept--Ka has more
than 500, 900 horses and mules. The
| work animals of India are buffalOes. asses
and diminutive cattle. the empire con-
tanning about so 100000 of these little
| cattle and huffaloes and about 1,0u0, ,00C
| asses.
The seven crops of Indian wheat har-
vested since 1883 show the average yield
per acre to be $50 bushels, being but lit
| tie more than two thirds the average
yield of the wheat fields Cf the United
States, which the ten crops grown prior
to 1880 show to be II L bushels per acre,
Estimates of the cost of growing wheat
| in India range from the 35 cents per
| bushel of the author of ''fndian Wheat
| VS.. American Protection;' the SO! cents
of the lion. VIM. Fowler in ''India,
| Her Wheat and Her Railways" to the 45c
OF the Rev. [. L. Hauser in the ''Report of
the United States Department of Agricul-
ture for 1885," and the 453 cents of Mr.. j {.
B. Fuller, assistant director OF agrlcul-
ture of the Northwest Provinces and
Oudh.
In all the estimates of the cost of grow
ing wheat in India coming under my OBJ
servation-eXcept that of Mr.. Fuller-the
value of the straw as animal food-tarm
animals in India get neither hay nor grain
lis assumed to be equal to one-third of
such cost, ard the above estimates are
what the wheat costs after deducting the
value of the straw, and even upon this
basis, and although labor costs but TO
cents per day yet so crude are the appli-
ances used and so inefficient the men and
animals employed. that the money cost
of the labor involved in growing an acre
of wheat in India is actually greater than
in the United States. For instance, Mr..
Fuller-who, from his official relation TO
agriculture in the greatest wheat growing
provinces of India, ought to be an author
lty-makes the labor cost per acre SO,
while the Rev. Mr.. Hauser makes it 81 .02.
In the American wheat growing distl lets
where gang-plows, press drills, headers
or self-binders and steam threshers are in
use, the labor cost per acre, valuing the
service of men at Sl.25 per day and of
horses at 30 cents each per day, will be:
Flowing, 75c; narrowing, zoe; rolling,
2uc; drilling. zoe: harvesting, 81; khresh-
ing, ST; total. 1885. That this estimate is
ample is clf ar from the fact that we can
find plenty of contractors ready to pro-
vide everything and plow land tor 20
cents per acre; to harrow, roll and drill
for 90 cents per acre; to harvest and stack
grain for 81 per acre, and to thresb wheat
and put in the granary for D cents per
bushel.
Accepting as substantially correct the
mean of the estimates of Messrs Fuller
and Hauser as to the cost of the labor in
volved in India wheat production, and
counting the straw from an acre OF wheat
as worth So per acre. as stated by Mr..
Hauser, and this offsetting the rent,
which MIR. Hauser puts at So. go for first
class land, and Mr.. Fuller at S2.73 for
second class land. and allowing nothing
for either manure or water dues, it is
clear that if the average production of
Indian fields is no greater than shown by
the last seven crops, the average cost of
wheat to the Indian grower cannot be
less than 75c. per bushel, and the cultiva-
tor not being able to secure reduction
of the rent OF the nationaliZed land. on
which the government is dependent fer
revenue, is it not equally clear that SELL
ing wheat at an average of less than 75c.
per bushel IS, as Mr.. Dadabhai Naoroii
says. but eXhausting the capital and labor
of the country? ?-as is also shown by the
chief commissioner OF the Central Provin-
ces in a report to the Indian government,
dated July q. 1888, wherein he says:
''Silver to pay his taxes (rent) must be
acquired. somehow, by the ryot, and
therefore he sells his crop low"
The difference between Indian and Am
erican methods and appliances in wheat
growing is most accurately measured by
the 4 1000 year old. six-inch iron sickle of
India, welded by the punv ryot sitting
on his launches and reaping an acre in II
days,eand the self binding harvester OF
America. which cuts and binds an acre of
grain for each mile and quarter which
brisk team travels.
The following table compile d from In
Clan official sources, shows the acreage,
product and expectation of Indian wheat
for the year named.