The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-13
NOW FOR a FARMERS YEAR.
Conditions That Point to an Influx of
$16O,OOO,OOO in Cold.
New York Sun.


There seems to be no doubt that this is
going to be the farmers year in this coun-
try. The worlds eye is upon the United
States looking for it's wheat supply, and
there is every indication that we will have
wheat enough to sell to make US all feel
rich and happy. Besides the great ships
OF the regular transatlantic lines, which
IN the aggregate carry more wheat from
this harbor than the entire output of some
of the other big grain-shipping ports, there
were nearly dozen steamers under char
ter and loading here last week. These were
the FloWergate Fernfield Forest Brook
Goodwin, Kairos. Lyderhorn, Myrtled'ene,
Nordkyn, Sunderland, Talisman and Words
worth. Their total capacity was 81 1872 tons
estimated burden and, as every vessel can
carry from two to two and one-half times
this in grain, their cargoes amounted prob
ably to about 1,350,000 bushels.
This, however, is onl-- the beginning of
the business Of wheat moving at this port.
Late in August and in September the heavy
movement begins, and thereafter the grain
goes from here to Europe in a constant
stream, amounting in ordinary years to
about IS 100000 bushels, and it has run up
to l32, 859, 1856 bushels during this period.
1t has been said frequently that New
York was losing her hold upon the grain
business, which was going to other ports.
This is true only in measure. Formerly.
when nearly all the grain came to the sea-
board by canal New York did practically
the entire shipping of it. Now that all the
great railroads have taken to handling
grain in competition to the waterways. New
York ships little more than one-half the
total export, Dut TINS naI1 Is vastly greater
than the total was in the old days. The
canals brought to us in 1895 only IA $50, 0o0
bushels while the railroads brought Y, us
335 bushels, and coaStwise vessels brought
enough more to bring the total up to 81 ,931,
94S bushels for the year. %
In the phenomenal year of 1892 our ship
ments amounted to 1i2 $50 1886 out of total
export for the country of about 226 900. 010
bushels and in 1898 New York handled
LOG, 800 $50 bushels out of total of 1872 900 000.
1t would not surprise any of the more eX-
perienced of our wheat operators if the
United States were called upon this year to
supply to the world something like 200 900, 900
bushels of wheat At soc a buShel this
would bring into the country $3.50, 600 900 in
gold or it's equivalent. Such enormous
sums however, are not earned without an
enormous amount of labor. Part of this is
that of the farmer, but another part and
one that forms large share of the total
cost to the consumer, is that of transporta-
ton.
Ancient Rome was for a long time de-
pendent upon the wheat fields of Africa for
her supply, but that Is perhaps the only i'm
portant example until very modern times
dependent for food supplies upon foreign
countries and other commerce. To-day the
wheat fields of Europe fall far short of
feeding the people about them that hun
dreds of millions of bushels are drawn from
sources thousands of miles distant. The
three great wheat fields for this supply are
our own, those of southern Russia and the
newly developed ones of the Argentine Re-
public. The total exports from these three
countries last year We're 10000 600 bushels.
This was 22000,000 bushels less than the
average for the last six years. In our great
export years of 1892 and 1898 we had crops
to draw upon of 685, 900 bushels grown
in 1891 and $50. 600 bushels grown in 1892.
Last year our crop was 600 bushels,
and this year 1t is believed to amount to
non bushels