The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-16
GRAIN TRADE.
GREAT INCREASE IN AGRICULTURE
Al PRODUCTION.
Development Trace From Colonial
Times to the Opening Up of the
Mississippi and Great Lakes, and
Later the Railroads In the West.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer.
WARRINGTON, March b.-"The Grain
Trade of the United States is the title
OF a monograph just published by the
treasury burenu OF statistics ne the FIRST
OF a series OF studies upon the production
and transportation Of the great staples and
upon the internal OF the coun-
try. The present article points out the
immense increase In the agricultural pro-
duction Of the country. the rapid and con-
tinuous westward shifting Of the area Of
CULTIVATION and the changes in the routes
by which Western grain reached tho East
ssrn consumers and the European markets.
the development OF the grain production
and trade Is traced from colonial times to
the opening up OF the Mississippi route by
INC purchase Of Louisiana. when the shall
low hargcs and later the steamboats, de-
acended the Mississippi, and New Orleans
shipped grain 20 New York and Bo<ton.
After the completion OF the Erie canal
m lSN. md the settling of the Lake Mich
iEan territory, the great bulk Of the West
ern grain trnfflc moved eastward over the
lakes and the canal and New York be-
came the great grain shipping port OF
the country. The discussion shows how,
from Chicago, q netwaTk Of railways ra-
dated TO all points ana acted as tribu-
taries TO the lakes. and later how the uni
ned and amalgamatod railways competed
with the lakes for the eastbound traffic.
The tranhe IN corn and -four was diverted
from the lakes to the railroads, and white
the lakes resained part OF this lost traf-
nc later, the Erie canal was unable to
compete with the railroads from Buffalo,
and grain. which formerly reached tide
water at New York, II now largely di-
verified to Philadelphia, Baltimore and
more southerly ports. The struggles o.
themselves are described. and the history
OF the existing rate differences Is given,
but the report confines itself to history.
and does not discuss policy or forecast
future developments.
Recent Developments.
1lsm AZ. -.
pear as the two most recent developments
OF the grain trade Of the United states
firstly, the partial diversion OF tho wheat
and Hour trade from Lake Michigan to
great milling industry AT Minneapolis and
Duluth-superior secondly. the increased
movement Of grain and notably OF corn
10 the gulf ports, partly by river, 20 a
greater extent by rail from a.. Louis and
nearby points and to An f~ever-growing
extent by direct rail routes from cities IN
the Southwestern corn belt.
The report which Is quite comprehen-
sivs, contains a series 81 tables dealing
With the rise and development OF the
grain trade at various collecting and dis
%tributlnr points. the efforts OF several
railroads to control and effect the ever
Increasing transportation Of grain and The
distribution OF the trafic among The vari-
Gus routes, A great amount u tuforma.
tlon rs furnished about rail. csASai and
ocean freight rates; about the production.
distribution and consumption ~ cereals,
and a special paragraph IL devoted Co the
subject OF tho foreign market Tor Ameri-
cnn grain. The monograph includes n
number OF tables regarding acreage, pro-
duction. imports. exports, consumption
prices and rates of duty for wheat In nil
the principal countries Of the earth. as
well as a map showing IN general outline
the present wheat area or the world
The statistics contained In this report
throw light upon the present grain ara
more especially wheat situation OF TIL
United States. They show that the cx-
portstion OF grain IS Increasing with great
rapidity. that both the production and
sxportatlon OF corn are assuming n great
or volume and that a constantly growing
portion OF our wheat a. exported IN ihe
form OF nour, During The last thirty-two
years the amount OF corn produced has
Increased from seS.e0.p1 a. f,A2t.N0W n
bushels, an Increase Of t2 per cent. whilc
the imports ~ this cereal Increased from
fshco.h1 10 lTT.0sA.00 bushels. or over loo
per cent During the same period our
production ~ wheat Increased from 1872
eole0 On s75.noo.0o bushels a gain ~ 84i
per cent. while our exports Increased
from l1eoa.n0o 10 20 Gn0oo bushels. or ul-
most eightecu-fold and our net exports %
int grain increased az n still morc rapid
rate.