The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-09-12

The large percentage Of gluten in
Southern-groWn wheat and its free
dom from damage in tropical climates
were facts recognized more than thirty
years ago by that eminent political
economist, Henry @. Carey, Of Phila-
delphia. Speaking at that time of
Southern wheat and it's high qualities,
he said:
Even before the war great change
had commenced in regard to the
sources from which supplies Of cereals
were to come, Tennessee and North
Carolina furnishing large supplies of
wheat, greatly superior in quality to
that grown on Northern lands, and
commanding higher prices in all
our markets. The daily quotations
show that Southern -four, raised in
Missouri, Tennes see and Virginia,
brings from three to five dollars more
per barrel than the best New York
Genesee -four; that of louisiana and
Texas is far superior to the former
even, owing to the superior dryness
and the fact that it contains more
gluten and does not ferment 80 easily.
Southern -four makes better dough
and maccar oni than Northern or West.
ern f3ur, it is better adapted for trans.
portation over the sea and keeps bet
ter in the tropics. 1t is, therefore, the
-four that is sought after for Bre ziI,
Ceutral America, Mexico and the West
Indian markets, which are at our
DOORS"
The suggestion made by Mr.. Carey
had been acted upon by the millers of
Richmond. Va, who practically, for
many years, controlled the trade in
-four for the markets of the West In
dies and South America.
The great national changes that are
now taking place will open to the
wheat growers of the South the largest
tropical markets in the world. Not
only the West Indies and South Amer
ica, but the East Indies, Southern
China, the islands of the Indian ocean,
including the Philippines and those of
Oceanica, a few years hence will be
embraced in the most important trade
lines of the United States, and will
supply markets for Southern grown
wheat. That the Nicaragua canal will
be built in the near future does not ad
NIT of doubt. 1t has become a ma
tion8l necessity, not only for the de-
tense Of our territory, but to the COM
merce of the world, and especially to
the commerce of theIUnited States. No
part of the United States will be so
much benefited by this grand water
link of two oceans as those States that
are contiguous or easily accessible to
the Gulf of Mexico. This land encom-
pae sed gulf will then become to the
Southern States what the Mediterran-
can We s to the Roman Empire. Through
it will pass the most valuable com
merce of the world, and the greatest
volume Of trade will originate on and
find it's Ingress and egress through this
inland sea- The Southern States may
yet become the granary of the world.
In no direction can the Southern
farmers look with more confidence of
adding to their profitable returns than
to the increased production of wheat.
There is a market for all the surplus
grown in the South in those States
that do not make enough for home
This is .strikingly aF-
parent from study Of the subj 1ined
table. In making these tables the est
mate for the present population in
each State is that made by the COVER
nors OF the respective States. II g
amount of wheat required per capita
is assumed to be four bushels, which is
lower than the average per capita for
the whole country, because a large
part of the population in the South
uses corn meal in place of four. The
statistics of the production of wheat
of each State are taken from the
eleventh census and from the year
book Of agriculture for 1898, with the
exception of those of Florida and Lou
Isiana for 1898, which were estimated |
from the reports of the eleventh census
It will be seen that in the States of
Alabama, Georgia, South |
Carolina, North Carolina, Louisiana,
Florida and Texas wheat
snongh is not produced to meet the re,
1uirements of the population by 35,
i22 POI bushels.
On the other hand, the States of Ten |
Dessee, Kentucky, Maryland, West
Virginia and Virginia produce a sur.
plus of 25, 574, 871 bushels, which is not |
..o,,nL. h.z eAz 22n h1shals Eo rnaat /