Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-15
MOVING THE CRoPs.
Some IDEA of the Immensity Of Amer
icA's Agricultural Wealth.


New York Tribune.
There are certain countries which have
renowned places II. history, and even in
current world politics., Of whose agricultural
resources It Is entirely practicable to OBJ
tain an accurate view when they are mar
shalled in figures. But the figures as to
the grain crop, for instance, OF the United
States require something more by way OF
elucidation in order that their full import
may be grasped. This deslderatum has
been supplied by railroad statisticians who
have been studying the work their COM
panies will be called upon to do. Their
estimate OF that part OF the great grain
crop for which they will have TO provide
moving facilities is 100000 carloads. They
have further figured 1t out that were all
this grain marketed at once It would re-
quire a solid train OF freight cars, with
the 1880 locomotives necessary TO move it,
whose total length would be II, DSs miles, or
half the circumference of the earth. Put in
other terms, the cars and engines would
practically occupy every foot OF four
parallel tracks stretching from New York
TO the Golden Gate.
Naturally, a large part OF the enormous
grain crop Of 1906 will not have to be
moved in freight cars. Much OF It will be
consumed on the farms by the farmers
own families and by the livestock. as in
many cases 1t will be more profitable to
dispose OF It in that way than to send It
TO market by rail. Another large part will
be hauled from the farms to the nelghbor-
ing towns and cities for local use The
remainder, about one-thlrd Of the total
crop, will tax to the utmost the railway
facilities OF the country and drain the
banks OF smaller cities and towns to move
nd a., fttys rui1I mt
OF money from the great financial centers
OF New York and the east-such In fact
as has already been going on for weeks
TO Chicago, Duluth and Omaha and other
western cities which act as distributing
centers for the money to start the crops
to market. Were all this grain put upon
the market at once the railroads would
literally be swamped and the banks drained
of money. Fortunately the large crops
! OF recent years and the continued prosperity
OF the country have left the farmers with
| money In the banks, and the marketing OF
their gain will be rather largely a matter
OF convenience rather than Of necessity.
Yet even under these circumstances the
railroads are making unparalleled prep
arations for the enormous task OF moving
the big crops OF 1906.
Descending to particulars and to in
dividual states, the statisticlans say the
wheat and oats crop OF Minnesota and the
Dakotas alone will aggregate s26, 900, ,0OO
| bushels, Of which the railroads will be
required to move 100, 900. coo bushels. They
| place the total yield OF corn at 2s66 900 900
bushels OF which 75O, 900, 900 will probably
have to be hauled TO market by the rail-
1 roads. On this basis from these three
states alone there viii be 4S8 trainloads
OF forty cars each. OF wheat and oats and
lo,O0O trainloads Of forty cars each OF corn.
The statisticians give other figures and
other ways OF conveying TO the mind some
idea OF the immensity OF Americas Agri-
cultural wealth. but these will sufhce 70
show on what a solid foundation America .
! prosperity u based