The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-08
A THREAT OVER THE AMERICAN
FARMER


srcss, to pause and reflect that the onl,
way to get wealth honestly is to labo
to produce something that somebody els
wants and is willing to exchange proper
~ or money for. ana that instead o.
seeking TO make what they do produc,
bring high prices by taking the valu,
out OF the money II sells for. they ough
10 have the monoy Of its old value anC
produce more OF that they do produc,
or produce some other articles that viii
not meet with so much competition as
what they now produce meets with.
We believe we have failed to make much
impression upon the wise men who think
that the way TO make q bushel Of whea,
sell for double its present price, is to
debase the dollar to half its present
value, and, It seems to MS. that our task
IS going 10 become still more difficult In
the future. We fear wheat and everything
else except cotton that the farmer OF
this country raises are going to become
still cheaper than they are. because vast
new fields seem about TO be opened I'D TO
the world. We take from the New York
Journal OF Commerce the following most
interesting but, TO American farmers,
depressing article:
The adheronts Of Malthus' tbeorv
mat with the population increasing at
| Us present rate there must come q time
when il viii be impossible to produce the
food necessary to the people-neod not
De alarmed. From al over the worla
we are told about increasing crops: and
the very low prices Of grain do not bear
witness Of starvation period near az
hand. Even IL Europe has been brought
under cultivation 10 its utmost capacity
there are immense lands IN America. AZ
rlca, and Australia only waiting for the
plow for yielding excellent crops; and
now the distinguished scientist and ex-
plorer. Baron Nordenskjold, has uttered
as his opinion that the granary Of the
coming century will not be in any or
the said divisions Of the world but in
Siberia.
Perhaps, last Of ALL would such abund-
ance Of wheat be expected from this
Asiatic country. whose name alone is
sufficient 10 produce Il chill: but Nor
donskjold gives important reasons for
his opinions, which are the more enti-
tied 10 respect ber .uee they are founded
on observations lie has male himself
through his travellings in these vast re-
gOns.
The natural qualities of Siberia he
says are essentially the same as those OF
America. In the North the country IS
covered by immense deserts. without for
ests, where 1t is so cold as to forever
exclude cultivation. South Of these des-
erts-about on go deg lat.-there f. an
enormous belt OF forests. the :. eatest in
the world. reaching. with few Interrupt
TONS from the Cral Mountains 10 the
coast of the Pacific Ocean, a length a
800 miles, with a width Of about 81
miles. South Of this forest belt I'D 10 |
about 80 deg. lat, arc the grca- siberian |
plains. in the summer covered will a |
splendor OF flowers, fora with some or |
the most magnificent varieties that car |
be imagined many If them the prlne OF |
the lighthouses In the West. These flow /
ers grow In black soil Of unsurpassed !
fertility Al comparatively small ex-
pense, this SOIL one year after another.
could produce immense crops Of maize.
rice and wheat the export Of which can
be effected through great waterways OF
the rivers Irish Oh. Jenessey, Lena. and
Anuir, with their numerous branches.
which through canals built by the Rus
sian Government are brought in connec-
ton with each other.
Nordenskj0ld calls attention to Port
Dickson, harbOr at the mouth OF Jen-
assey I'm the Siberian Sea, discovered by
him. The way from this port to the At
antic Ocean north Of Norway has fire.
luenty been navigated without consider
able difficulty, and would be still more
available when Port Dickson has come
n Geographic connection with the coast
stations, whore the sailors could be in
ormed about the frequently changing
co conditions IN the Siberian Sea. The
Russian Government f. doing everything
possible for this route. and has each sum-
ncr sent out vessels for measuring ana
INVESTIGATING the depths, taking maps,
&c.
Besides these waterways. which will be
lseful for exports only in the summer
inc. the Russian Government 81 building |
railroad across Siberia. when finish
"a, that road viii cover the distance from
he Ural Mountains 10 NladivostOck at
he Pacific Ocean. $3.50 miles. the costs Of
Yhice are estimated 20 be $50 900 900 rubles.
he road viii pass through the above
AIMED fertile plains touching there all
0ints Of importance. as Omsk, Marinsk,
.tzchnsk, Krasnozarsk. Tonisk, lrkutsk,
&C.; and. as coal Is found in plenty and
be road will be operated principally "for
he good OF the country" the freight
ates will be fixed az a very low scale.
hereby enabling the Siberian products
, take up competition on the European
larkets. The road. in IT'S fun length, is !
INJECTED to be finished in the beginning
f next century, and at the same time ]
ne canallzation Is expected to be suf- I
GENTLY completed.
,Sordenskiold has the opinion that ST.
aria viii already in the next century /
lay the same role for Europe as has {
morica held for nearly one century and S
half. I
This IS very bad for the american d
.rmer but he had as well make up his
ind that he cannot help his case by =
sbasing his money. The Siberian wheat a
going 70 make his sell for even less e
ian Il does now, but the Siberian is
IT going to stop sending out wheat I
,cause we make our dollar worth only {
III dollars. We must produce more i
heat or something else to meet the n
use successfully. II
- ii
The Cape Charles Pioneer has COM u
eted the ninth year of its publication. L,
ID is happy and prosperous.
The waynesboro Sentinel has entered e.
/ the fifth year Of .ts existence. h,
81
rhe Daily Review ia q new afternoon u,
nture in Danville. IL IS neatly printed cf
d presents tho news in an attractive "
I'm, we'll filing the need Of an after CO
on paper for that section OF the coun-
=. W
----------------- Is
Surprise Party p