The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-08-20
RUSSIAN RYE is SCARCE.
EXPECTATION OF THE CEREAL
PROHIBITED.


Extremely Likely that Europe's Shortage
in Breadstuffs Will Have to Be Supplied
by American Corn-Virtues of the Golden
Grain but Little Known There.
Until generation or so ago the staple
bread Of the New England farmer was
mixture of rye -four and corn meal,
popularity known as "rye and Indian.
The main ingredient was the meal.
Rye has never been popular food prod
uct in this country, except among those
of our people who came from the conti-
nent of Europe. Occa sionallye, the early
frost would nip the corn in the milk and
the farmers would be obliged to rely
mainly upon rye. The time seems to
have come for corn to fully repay all its
Indebtedness to rye as a substitute, not
only upon the continent of Europe but
here at home, where the Indebtedness
was incurred. Wheat has very nearly
taken the place of all other cereals as
food for man in this country, unless it
be that the South still clings to corn.
The working classes of the world, on
the contrary, can not afford "white
bread" especially at semi-famine prices.
Whatever the producers may realize on
their crops, the European consumer is
bound to pay exceptionally dear for his
bread, be it black or white.
The latest edition of Mulhall gave the
rye product of Europe as 1890, 900, OCO
bushels, and OF wheat as ], 10Y, 600, 900
bushels, difference in favor of rye of
123, 900, coo bushels. Those figures give q
fair idea of the relative yield Of ordin-
airy years. Fully one-half of all the
rye of Europe is grown in Russia, which
produces at least three bushels of rye to
one of wheat, while the United States
produces about fourt ell bushels of
wheat to one OF rye There are not far
from 200, coo, 900 people in Europe who
rely upon rye as the staff of life. When,
therefore, Russia prohibits the exporta-
ton of rye, as it did the 18th of this
out Of the mouths of many millions of
people and, compel them to either go
hungry or eat something else
Fortunately for the poor of Europe,
there is every prospect of the greatest
corn crop in this country that was ever
known in agricultural history There
seems to be disposition in some quar-
! tiers to condemn the policy of Russia as
cruel. If there were no other sources
of supply, it would be mean to shut off
the expectation summarily and rightly,
but there is really good quantity Of
food in the world, and ample facility for
it's transportation. Russia might keep
every kernel Of it's rye at home and the
United States would come to the rescue
with it's corn. The sooner all the par
ties in interest know what to expect the
better it will be.
1t is highly probable that the lesson
of necessity will outlive the necessity
itself, and that American corn will gain
a foothold in Europe during the next
year from which it can not be dislodged.
Russia may be building better for the
farmers Of the United States than for
the Russian peasantry. Ordinarily a
country is anxious to find market for
its surplus, and so far from putting an
embargo on exports is happy in the
prospect of foreign demand. 1t is
psobable that American corn will be
abe to retain in future years much OF
the advantage it is about to enjoy If
Russia is not careful it will overdo the
prohibition policy and inflict permanent
injury on it's own agriculture. Certain
ii is that corn is quite as good food as
rye, and many of the millions who try it
for year or so will learn to prefer it.
That feature of the present relations of
corn to rye may prove to be the most
important of the whole case