The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-02
AMERICA LEADS IN
 WHEAT GROWING Produces / 0ne-Fifth of the
 Worlds Supply DEVELOPMENT OF PLAINS Western Canada Has Become Prom- nent as a Wheat Country Since
 the Development of Rail
 road Transportation.
DEVELOPMENT OF PLAINS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKlN.

having been mentioned as early as 2l00 B. C., the United States, one of the newest countries, grows about one-flfth of the worlds supply, and the continent of North America is destined to remain the greatest wheat producer on the globe. From Janu- ary, when the harvest begins in South America, until December, when it ends in Burmah, 100000 persons are engaged for a part of the year in the worlds wheat fields. The universal yield annually amounts to more than two bushels for each man, woman and child on earth. To the inventive genius of Americans is due the present immensity of the wheat crop. Steam transporta tion and harvesting ma chinery have been the great factors in eX- banding the producing area for the grain, yet the great problem at present Is not that of growing more, but to distribute what is already grown. There have been times when Rusisa exported a surplus of wheat from some sections while famine stal<ed abroad in other portions of the empire so remote from railroads that 1t was impossible to get relief to the suf- ferers. When all countries are gridironed by railroads famine may be prevented but there must be a great extension of trans portation facilities before that end will be possible.
 Since the development of the United States began the center of wheat produc- ton has moved steadily westward and the transportation companies have been kept busy trying to handle the crops of wheat resulting from the opening up Of new lands. For d long time after It was known that the plains would produce wheat as good as any from the soil of the Atlantic seaboard states, the western fields remained unplowed for the reason that it was impossible to market crops grown in the central part of great con tinent remote from navigabe waterways. The states bordering upon the Mississippi raised wheat when that stream was first navigated by steamers and barges and crops were shipped to New Orleans and thence to Europe. But 1t was not until railroads constructed their lines into the plains country that the great wheat crops of the west came into existence, and Mon tana, Minnesota and the Daltotas became centers of grain production.
 With the further development of trans portation facilities, Western Canada has become an important factor as wheat country With millions of acres of land still unsettled the fields of Western Can ada are now producing more than 10o,- 000,O0O bushels of wheat which Is all the more remarkable when 1t is considered that only a few years ago this whole section was thought to be barren It is now asserted that the present generation will see GOO acres of wheat growing in the western provinces and if the pro phecy Is fulfilled the product, at twenty bushels an acre, will equal more than one-fourth of the worlds present crop. Canada is striving in every manner to induce immigration to her wheat fields. She is pushing railroad construction and spending large sums upon canals, harbor I ent she has 20,000 miles of railroads an6 ranks eighth in point of mileage.
 In the more progressive countries mod ern methods of cultivation have increased the acreage production of wheat and decreased the cost until it seems that the limit of Improvements has been ap- preached. The dream of capitalists now is an all-water route from the west to the Atlantic for the relief of traffic that has chafed for fifty years at the barriers be- tween the lakes If the dream Is ever realized, and grain In bulk can be shipped to Europe without breaking cargo. d revolution in marketing wheat will be worked. An important project on the part of Canada is the proposed Georgia Bay ship canal from Georgia Bay to Ottawa. This will cost s10,000,000 and will provide a new route from the northwest for both Canada and United States grow CTS, reducing the distance by water from Chicago to the St. Lawrence by cutting Lake Erie out entirely.
 Because of their situation on the sea coast, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uru- guay enjoy easy transportation facilities and do a good export business But for the fact that light traffic from European ports to South America causes grain sips to return empty thus causing high freight rate, they would have a great ad- vantage over western North America in export trade. A great need of the United States is the development of trade in wheat with the Orient to make an outlet for the far west. But in view of the fact that the increased home demand has caused our exports to fall off from 154- l02 to 34973,29 bushels in five years. this need of a trade with the Orient is not as keenly felt just now as it would be If our home demand were less
 The falling off in the exports from this country is not caused by lack of demand for the American product, but to the great increase in wheat consumption in the United States This is due in part to an increase in population much more rapid than the increase in the wheat pro ducing area, and in part to the great prosperity of this country. Although maiv discriminating persons to whom the price is not a factor prefer corn dodgers, to wheat bread, a decided increase in the demand for flour has resulted recently from the prosperity of the working classes
 in the south
 The ehGLge from the old fashioned era dle 10 the modern machine that cuts threshes and sacks wheat has served to reduce thc price of production America has not only led in the invention and use of machinery, but our manufacturers have sen. agents all over the world in th- effort to introduce the most modern ma chinery into all countries. Some of the wheat countries are still far behind. While the average net profit upon the American crop is between 8 and Ss an acre, that of the whole world is bat S1.25. In Italy and India wheat is often produced at loss, and is cultivated only because greatc9 loss is entaled in importing bread stuffs
 The United States is diveded into eight great wheat districts, each possessing characteristics quite different from the others. They are the soft wheat district including New England and the middle states; the senli-hard winter wheat dis trict, including the north central states: the southern wheat district, including the northern states of the plains the hard hard spring wheat district. including the northern states of the plains: te hard winter wheat district, including the mid .