New-York tribune., 1900-03-11
THE STORY OF THE GRAIN TRADE.
HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL MONO
GRAPH FROM THE TREASURY
DEPARTMENT.

Washington. March 10 (SpeciaD.-'The Grain
Trade of the United States the title OF a mono
graph just published by the Treasury Bureau Of
Statistics the first of a series of studies upon
the production and transportation of the great
staples and upon the internal commerce of the
country. This points out the immense increase
in the agricultural production of the country. the
rapid and continuous westward shifting of the
OF cultivation, and the changes in the routes by
which Western grain reached the Eastern con-
sumers and the European markets. The develop
ment of the grain production and trade is traced
from Colonial times to the opening OF the Misss-
sippi route by the purchase of louisiana when the
shallow barges and later the steamboats, descended
the Mississippi, and New Orleans shipped grain to
NewYork and Boston. After :he completion of
the Erie canal in 1925 the settling of the Lake
Michigan territory. the great bulk OF the Western
grain traffic moved eastward over the lakes and
the canal, ard New-York became the great grain
shipping port of the country.
The discussion shows how from Chicago net
work of railways radiated to all points and acted
tributaries to the lake, and later how the
unified and amalgamated railways competed with
the lakes for eastbound traffic. The traffic in corn
and -four was diverted from the lakes to the rail
roads, and while the lakes reeaned part of this
lost traffic later, the Erie canal was unable TO
compete with the railroads from Buffalo and grain
which formerly ched tidewater at New-York Is
now largely diverted 20 Philadelphia Baltimore
and more southerly ports The struggles of the
railroads and Of the ports among themselves are
described and the history of the existing rate
dferentials is given but the report confines itself
history and does not discuss policy or forecast
future developments.
The monograph also presents what appear as the
two most recent developments OF the grain trade
of the United States: First. the partial diversion
of the wheat and -four trade from Lake Michigan
Lake Superior ports and the rise of a great mill
ing industry at Minneapolis and Duluth Superior;
second. the increased movement OF grain land
notably of corn) TO the Gulf ports partly by river
20 a greater extent by rail from ST. Louis and
nearby points, and to growing extent by
direct rail routes from cities in the Southwestern
belt.
The report, which is comprehe lsive contains a
series OF tables dealing with the and develop
ment OF the grain trade at various collecting and
distributing points, the efforts OF the several rail-
roads TO control and effect the ever increasing
transportation of grain and the distribution of the
traffic among the various routes. great amount
OF information is furnished about rail- canal and
freight rates; about the production dis
tribution and consumption OF cereals and a special
paragraph is devoted to the subject OF the foreign
market for American grain The monograph in
cludes a number OF tables regarding acrea ge pro-
ducton. imports, exports, consumption, prices and
of duty for wheat In all the PRINCIPAL coun-
tries of the earth, Well map showing in
general outline the present wheat area OF the
world.
The statistics contained In this report throw
light upon the present grain and more especiaIly
wheat situation OF the United States. They show
that the expectation OF grain Ia increasing with