The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-11-09
MARKETING
COAST GRAIN
Continued Fron Page one.

LVHliuuSu EIohu rage O0E.
cost OF shipping wheat from Spokane
or Walla Walla TO Liverpool, including
railroad rates to Portland or Puget
Sound, ocean rates and marine insur-
ance, ranged from Is 20 30 cents
bushel, while the rate to Chicago from
Spokane was 24.6 cents a bushel. The
same situation prevails. to a some
what limited extent, In marketing live
stock
The historic development OF the grain
and live stock industries OF the Pa
cific coast states are discussed in an
interesting way in the bulletin, which
says in part:
Wheat growing In California de-
veloped with the large increase in pop
uiation following tbs discovery OF gold.
In 1s4s the wheat crop was about H.
600 bushels. and in 1859 IL had reach
ed nearly 100000 bushels. Exports OF
wheat began in the early SOS. The
annual average Of exports from San
Francisco for 1S56-60 amounted TO 400,-
900 bushels, including the wheat used
to make export -four. The zenith of
the wheat exports from California
was reached In 1ss1-s5. when their
yearly average was 10000, 900 bushels.
In 1906-10 this trade had declined to
I. 100000 bushels. most OF which was
exported as -four Meanwhile. how
ever, the Pacific northwest had been
increasing it's crops so that the total
exports of wheat dncluding -four re-
duced 70 terms of grain) amounted to
r., 000, 900 bushels year from the Pa
cifc coast during the years 1906-1D.
The development Of CALIFORNIA; agrf
culture along lines more profitable for
its climate and soil is one cause for
the decline Of its wheat production.
The increasing population, providing
q larger home market largely reduces
the surplus for export.
"a striking feature Of the grain in
dustry Of the Pacific coast is the re-
latiyeiy high prices paid to farmers in
regions OF small production as COM
pared with farm prices In those reg
ions which furnish the bulk of the
crop. The average farm prices for
wheat for two years ending with June,
1910. ranged from 81 cents bushel I'm
the valleys Of the upper Columbia and
Snake rivers TO $1.2S for the mountain
counties Of eastern California, where
but little wheat is raised. II costs a
Pacific coast farmer an average of 90
to Is cents per ton-mile to haul his
wheat to the shipping point. while the
freight rate over the route to England
| by way OF Cape Horn is only from .02
to .0s of / cent per ton-mile.
THE live stock industry Of the coast
| Is much older than grain farming. II
/ was one OF the main supports OF Cali
fornia for at least half a century be-
fore the discovery OF gold In 1913.
When large numbers Of people began
to enter the state in the early SOS the
| home supply was TOGO small and cat
| tie and sheep were brought in from
distant places. Texas, and even Mis-
souri,, contributed TO the herds and
mountains and deserts to the river
valleys OF California
It Is suggested In the bulletin that
the present unique position occupied
by the Pacific coast states in the grain
trade Of the country no doubt will be
changed after the opening Of the Pam
anna canal. This is entirely probable,
and It Is predicted that a general re-
adjustment OF trans continental rail
rates also viii follow the opening OF
the great canal which win link the At
lantic to the Pacific.
] In view OF the vast difference in
rail and water rates for the shipment
of grain and other farm products. II
also Is suggested that the natural
| trend OF this heavy traffic viii be
towards New Orleans by way OF the
Mississippi river and its important
tributaries. the mighty Missouri at
last coming into it's own, with its
/ channel fixed and deepened to pro-
vide for an ever increasing volume OF
commerce.
Even IL traffic on the Father OF Wa
ters 10 not revived simultaneously
with the opening OF the Panama canal.
/ 1t is said that the trend of rail traffic
viii be away from the established east
and west route to the south and north.
and certainly to the south because or
the long down grade haul. which win
make IL less expensive to the rail-
roads.