Part 7 (2/2)

It is thought that the cultivation of the grain began in Mesopotamia, but it is also certain that it was grown by the Swiss lake-dwellers far back in prehistoric times. It is the ”corn” Joseph's brothers sought to buy when they went to Egypt, and the records of its harvesting are scattered all over the pages of written history.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GRAIN CROP--MODERN METHODS OF CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING]

Of the one and one-half billion people that const.i.tute the world's population, more than one-third, or about eight times the population of the United States, are consumers of wheat-bread; and this number is yearly increasing by twelve million. Moreover, each individual of this aggregate consumes yearly very nearly one barrel of flour, or about four and one-half bushels of wheat. In other words, it requires somewhat more than two billion three hundred million bushels of wheat each year to supply the world's demand.[23] As a matter of fact the world's crop is yearly consumed so nearly to the danger-line that very often the ”visible supply,” or the amount known to be in the market, is reduced to a few million bushels.

Wheat will grow under very wide ranges of climate, but it thrives best between the parallels of 25 and 55. In a soil very rich in vegetable mould it is apt to ”run to stalk.” A rather poor clay-loam produces the best seed,[24] and a hard seed, rather than a heavy stalk, is required.

In the lat.i.tude of Kansas the seeds planted in the fall will retain their vitality through the winter; in the lat.i.tude of Dakota they are ”winter-killed,” as a rule. Because of this feature two broad cla.s.ses or divisions of the crop are recognized in commerce--the winter and the spring varieties. In general, the spring wheats are regarded as the better, and this is nearly always the case in localities too cold for winter wheat. There are exceptions to this rule, however. In the main, winter wheat ripens first, and is therefore first in the market.[25]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHEAT]

In Europe the plain that faces the North and Baltic Seas, and that part which extends through southern Russia, yield the chief part of the crop, although the plains of the Po, the Danube, and Bohemia furnish heavy crops. Russia, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy are all wheat states.

In a normal year all Europe produces a little more than one-half (fifty-five per cent.) of the world's crop. Russia and France excepted, scarcely another state produces as much as is consumed. Great Britain consumes her entire crop in three months; Germany in about six months.

France sends a part of her crop to Great Britain and buys of Russia to fill the deficiency. Russia consumes but very little of her wheat-crop; it is nearly all sold to the states of western Europe. All Europe consumes about one billion seven hundred and ten million bushels, but produces about one billion two hundred and fifty million; the remainder is supplied by the United States, India, Argentina, Africa, and Australia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHEAT IN UNITED STATES]

In the United States the great bulk of the crop comes from the upper Mississippi valley and Pacific coast States. About one-third is consumed where it is grown; more than one-third is required for the populous centres of the east; a little less than one-third is exported, of which about ninety per cent. goes to Europe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHEAT PRODUCTION]

Much of this, especially the Pacific coast product, is sold unground, but each year an increasing amount is made into flour. The flour manufacture of the United States aggregates somewhat more than 160,000,000 barrels yearly--the output of 16,000 flour-mills; the Pillsbury mills of Minneapolis alone have a capacity of 60,000 barrels a week. In Europe the Hungarian mills and their output of Bohemian flour are the chief compet.i.tors of the United States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHEAT]

The wheat-crop of the Pacific coast has usually been a factor by itself.

On account of the absence of summer rains, the kernel is both plump and hard. After the thres.h.i.+ng process it is sacked and stored in the fields in which it has grown.[26] Heretofore much of the sacked wheat has been s.h.i.+pped to European markets by the Cape Horn route, but in late years a yearly increasing amount is made into flour and sold in China, j.a.pan, and Siberia. In 1900 nearly two million barrels were thus sent.

East of the Rocky Mountains, after the grain is harvested much of it is sold to dealers whose storage elevators[27] are scattered all over the wheat-growing region, and at all great points of s.h.i.+pment, such as Duluth, Minneapolis, Buffalo, and the eastern seaports. Before the grain is transferred to the elevators it is inspected and graded, and the cars which contain it are sealed. This wheat const.i.tutes the ”visible supply.” All the business concerning it is transacted by means of ”warehouse receipts,” that have almost the currency of ready money.

Banks loan money on them almost to their market value.

Under normal conditions, the cost of growing and harvesting a bushel of wheat--including interest on the land and deterioration of the machinery, etc.--is between fifty and fifty-five cents. The market price, when not affected by ”corners” and other gambling transactions, usually varies between sixty-two and eighty-five cents. The difference between these figures is divided between the farmer and the ”middlemen,”

the share of the latter being in the form of commissions and elevator charges.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STORING PACIFIC COAST WHEAT]

In addition to bread-making wheat, certain varieties of grain known as macaroni wheat have a certain importance in the market. Several varieties are so hardy that they easily resist extremely cold winters; they will also grow in regions too dry for ordinary varieties. In this respect they are well adapted to the plains at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. The only detriment is the lack of a steady market.

Macaroni wheat has a very hard kernel and is rich in gluten. It is used mainly in the manufacture of macaroni paste, but in Europe, when mixed with three times its weight of ordinary soft wheat, it is much used in making flour. The small amount now grown in the United States is s.h.i.+pped mainly to France.

The yield of wheat varies partly with the rainfall, but the difference is due mainly to skill in cultivation. In western Europe it is from two to three times as great as in the United States; in Russia and India it is much less.[28]

The yearly consumption of wheat is increasing very rapidly both in the United States and in Europe; moreover, China is becoming a wheat-consuming country. In the United States the consumption is increasing so rapidly that unless either the acreage of the crop, or else the yield per acre, is materially increased, there will be no surplus for export after the year 1931.

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