Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-21
The Future of Agriculture.

In an article under the above head
ing, the New York Herald says that
the facts given in the March report of
the Department of Agriculture deserve
special study in relation to a remoter
future. Though the present depressing
prices may possibly improve decidedly
in sixty or even thirty days, it seems
highly probable that the general
values of grain and cotton are not
destined to undergo a long-sustained
increase in any proximate period
From extensive and valuable statistics
ION the production and distribution OF
the principal agricultural products of
the world" recently published by the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, it appears that the march OF
agricultural production is now too
rapid to permit any one nation to
count on long enjoying anything ap-
preaching even the partial monopoly
that hitherto the United States has
had in cotton and wheat. In 1880
Argentina had to import wheat to full
fiji her food-supply, but in 1890 she ex-
ported wheat-surplus of 12,O47,92
bushels. In the last decade Uruguay
nearly tripled her wheat expectation.
Of late years New South Wales has
largely increased her wheat produc-
tion; Queenslands yield in 1890 was
five times the average of the previous
ten years, in which her corn acreage
was more than doubled. Western and
South Australia, South Africa, Egypt,
Mexico, Manitoba and Canada in the
same period made considerable prog
ress in this respect. The official report
referred to states that the agricultural
and material progress of the Australian
colonies ''in the past twenty years has
been remarkable, comparable only
with the unequalled advancement of
the United States during the first
century of it's existence" While
British India already figures conspicu-
ously in the role of wheat-exporter,
her last years yield of this cereal hav-
ing been about sixty-two per cent OF
the American crop, it does not appear
that her limit in this direction has been
nearly reached.
Cotton production outside of the
United States, it appears from the
statistics already referred to, is also
rapidly increasing, except in Brazil
where the production in 1890 was SS,
GAL bales less than in 1888. In Egyp1
the crop of 1890 exceeded that of 1881
by 313, 1853 bales, while in India there
was an increase of 98,209 bales. Rus
sian writer's claim that Russia is rails
ing within her own territory one-thirt
at least of the cotton she needs.
All these data, valuable and sug
gestive as they are, by no means suf
flee to prove that the prices of grail
and cotton are to long remain as low a
they now are, or that they will gradu
ally decline during the remainder o
this century. Still they serve to poin
an important lesson for our Western
farmers and Southern planters. Con
sumption of crop-products ought t.
increase the world-over faster thai
population, and with economy and
reduction of the burdens of taxation
the demand of all nations for sucl
products will increase. Under pros
porous circumstances man will cor
sumo much more than when in pecu
mary straits. But the agriculturis
must ceaselessly guard against tn
overproduction of crops not demande
in the worlds markets and learn t
concentrate his industry on thos
which will command profitable returns