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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　23　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…　Cost　of　a　bushel　of　Indian…corn　at　Liverpool　　　　　　　　89　cents。

Thus　corn　which　in　Liverpool　costs　3s。　l0d。　has　been　sold　by　the　farmer　who　produced　it　for　5d。！　　It　is　probable　that　no　great　reduction　can　be　expected　in　the　cost　of　ocean　transit；　but　it　will　be　seen　by　the　above　figures　that　out　of　the　Liverpool　price　of　3s。　l0d。；　or　89　cents；　considerably　more　than　half　is　paid　for　carriage　across　the　United　States。　　All　or　nearly　all　this　transit　is　by　water；　and　there　can；　I　think；　be　no　doubt　but　that　a　few　years　will　see　it　reduced　by　fifty　per　cent。　　In　October　last　the　Mississippi　was　closed；　the　railways　had　not　rolling　stock　sufficient　for　their　work；　the　crops　of　the　two　last　years　had　been　excessive；　and　there　existed　the　necessity　of　sending　out　the　corn　before　the　internal　navigation　had　been　closed　by　frost。　　The　parties　who　had　the　transit　in　their　hands　put　their　heads　together；　and　were　able　to　demand　any　prices　that　they　pleased。　　It　will　be　seen　that　the　cost　of　carrying　a　bushel　of　corn　from　Chicago　to　Buffalo；　by　the　lakes；　was　within　one　cent　of　the　cost　of　bringing　it　from　New　York　to　Liverpool。　　These　temporary　causes　for　high　prices　of　transit　will　cease；　a　more　perfect　system　of　competition　between　the　railways　and　the　water　transit　will　be　organized；　and　the　result　must　necessarily　be　both　an　increase　of　price　to　the　producer　and　a　decrease　of　price　to　the　consumer。　　It　certainly　seems　that　the　produce　of　cereal　crops　in　the　valleys　of　the　Mississippi　and　its　tributaries　increases　at　a　faster　rate　than　population　increases。　　Wheat　and　corn　are　sown　by　the　thousand　acres　in　a　piece。　　I　heard　of　one　farmer　who　had　10；000　acres　of　corn。　　Thirty　years　ago　grain　and　flour　were　sent　Westward　out　of　the　State　of　New　York　to　supply　the　wants　of　those　who　had　immigrated　into　the　prairies；　and　now　we　find　that　it　will　be　the　destiny　of　those　prairies　to　feed　the　universe。　　Chicago　is　the　main　point　of　exportation　Northwestward　from　Illinois；　and　at　the　present　time　sends　out　from　its　granaries　more　cereal　produce　than　any　other　town　in　the　world。　　The　bulk　of　this　passes；　in　the　shape　of　grain　or　flour；　from　Chicago　to　Buffalo；　which　latter　place　is；　as　it　were；　a　gateway　leading　from　the　lakes；　or　big　waters；　to　the　canals；　or　small　waters。　　I　give　below　the　amount　of　grain　and　flour　in　bushels　received　into　Buffalo　for　transit　in　the　month　of　October　during　four　consecutive　years：

October；　1858　　　　　　　4；429；055　bushels。　　　　〃　　　　　1859　　　　　　　5；523；448　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　　1860　　　　　　　6；500；864　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　　1861　　　　　　12；483；797　　　　〃

In　1860；　from　the　opening　to　the　close　of　navigation；　30；837；632　bushels　of　grain　and　flour　passed　through　Buffalo。　　In　1861；　the　amount　received　up　to　the　31st　of　October　was　51；969；142　bushels。　As　the　navigation　would　be　closed　during　the　month　of　November；　the　above　figures　may　be　taken　as　representing　not　quite　the　whole　amount　transported　for　the　year。　　It　may　be　presumed　the　52；000；000　of　bushels；　as　quoted　above；　will　swell　itself　to　60；000；000。　　I　confess　that　to　my　own　mind　statistical　amounts　do　not　bring　home　any　enduring　idea。　　Fifty　million　bushels　of　corn　and　flour　simply　seems　to　mean　a　great　deal。　　It　is　a　powerful　form　of　superlative；　and　soon　vanishes　away；　as　do　other　superlatives　in　this　age　of　strong　words。　　I　was　at　Chicago　and　at　Buffalo　in　October；　1861。　　I　went　down　to　the　granaries　and　climbed　up　into　the　elevators。　　I　saw　the　wheat　running　in　rivers　from　one　vessel　into　another；　and　from　the　railroad　vans　up　into　the　huge　bins　on　the　top　stores　of　the　warehousesfor　these　rivers　of　food　run　up　hill　as　easily　as　they　do　down。　　I　saw　the　corn　measured　by　the　forty…bushel　measure　with　as　much　ease　as　we　measure　an　ounce　of　cheese　and　with　greater　rapidity。　　I　ascertained　that　the　work　went　on；　week　day　and　Sunday；　day　and　night；　incessantlyrivers　of　wheat　and　rivers　of　maize　ever　running。　　I　saw　the　men　bathed　in　corn　as　they　distributed　it　in　its　flow。　　I　saw　bins　by　the　score　laden　with　wheat；　in　each　of　which　bins　there　was　space　for　a　comfortable　residence。　　I　breathed　the　flour　and　drank　the　flour；　and　felt　myself　to　be　enveloped　in　a　world　of　breadstuff。　　And　then　I　believed；　understood；　and　brought　it　home　to　myself　as　a　fact　that　here　in　the　corn…lands　of　Michigan；　and　amid　the　bluffs　of　Wisconsin；　and　on　the　high　table　plains　of　Minnesota；　and　the　prairies　of　Illinois　had　God　prepared　the　food　for　the　increasing　millions　of　the　Eastern　World；　as　also　for　the　coming　millions　of　the　Western。　I　do　not　find　many　minds　constituted　like　my　own；　and　therefore　I　venture　to　publish　the　above　figures。　　I　believe　them　to　be　true　in　the　main；　and　they　will　show；　if　credited；　that　the　increase　during　the　last　four　years　has　gone　on　with　more　than　fabulous　rapidity。　For　myself；　I　own　that　those　figures　would　have　done　nothing　unless　I　had　visited　the　spot　myself。　　A　man　can　not；　perhaps　count　up　the　results　of　such　a　work　by　a　quick　glance　of　his　eye；　nor　communicate　with　precision　to　another　the　conviction　which　his　own　short　experience　has　made　so　strong　within　himself；　but　to　himself　seeing　is　believing。　　To　me　it　was　so　at　Chicago　and　at　Buffalo。　　I　began　then　to　know　what　it　was　for　a　country　to　overflow　with　milk　and　honey；　to　burst　with　its　own　fruits　and　be　smothered　by　its　own　riches。　　From　St。　Paul　down　the　Mississippi；　by　the　shores　of　Wisconsin　and　Iowa；　by　the　ports　on　Lake　Pepin；　by　La　Crosse；　from　which　one　railway　runs　Eastward；　by　Prairie　du　Chien；　the　terminus　of　a　second；　by　Dunleath；　Fulton；　and　Rock　Island；　from　whence　three　other　lines　run　Eastward；　all　through　that　wonderful　State　of　Illinois；　the　farmer's　glory；　along　the　ports　of　the　Great　Lakes；　through　Michigan；　Indiana；　Ohio；　and　further　Pennsylvania；　up　to　Buffalo？　the　great　gate　of　the　Western　Ceres；　the　loud　cry　was　this：　〃How　shall　we　rid　ourselves　of　our　corn　and　wheat？〃　　The　result　has　been　the　passage　of　60；000；000　bushels　of　breadstuffs　through　that　gate　in　one　year！　　Let　those　who　are　susceptible　of　statistics　ponder　that。　　For　them　who　are　not　I　can　only　give　this　advice：　Let　them　go　to　Buffalo　next　October；　and　look　for　themselves。　In　regarding　the　above　figures；　and　the　increase　shown　between　the　years　1860　and　1861；　it　must　of　course　be　borne　in　mind　that；　during　the　latter　autumn；　no　corn　or　wheat　was　carried　into　the　Southern　States；　and　that　none　was　exported　from　New　Orleans　or　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi。　　The　States　of　Mississippi；　Alabama；　and　Louisiana　have　for　some　time　past　received　much　of　their　supplies　from　the　Northwestern　lands；　and　the　cutting　off　of　this　current　of　consumption　has　tended　to　swell　the　amount　of　grain　which　has　been　forced　into　the　narrow　channel　of　Buffalo。　　There　has　been　no　Southern　exit　allowed；　and　the　Southern　appetite　has　been　deprived　of　its　food。　　But　taking　this　item　for　all　that　it　is　worthor　taking　it；　as　it　generally　will　be　taken；　for　much　more　than　it　can　be　worththe　result　left　will　be　materially　the　same。　　The　grand　markets　to　which　the　Western　States　look　and　have　looked　are　those　of　New　England；　New　York；　and　Europe。　　Already　corn　and　wheat　are　not　the　common　crops　of　New　England。　　Boston；　and　Hartford；　and　Lowell　are　fed　from　the　great　Western　States。　　The　State　of　New　York；　which；　thirty　years　ago；　was　famous　chiefly　for　its　cereal　produce；　is　now　fed　from　these　States。　　New　York　City　would　be　starved　if　it　depended　on　its　own　State；　and　it　will　soon　be　as　true　that　England　would　be　starved　if　it　depended　on　itself。　　It　was　but　the　other　day　that　we　were　talking　of　free　trade　in　corn　as　a　thing　desirable；　but　as　yet　doubtfulbut　the　other　day　that　Lord　Derby；　who　may　be　Prime　Minister　to…morrow；　and　Mr。　Disraeli；　who　may　be　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　to…morrow；　were　stoutly　of　opinion　that　the　corn　laws　might　be　and　should　be　maintainedbut　the　other　day　that　the　same　opinion　was　held　with　confidence　by　Sir　Robert　Peel；　who；　however；　when　the　day　for　the　change　came；　was　not　ashamed　to　become　the　instrument　used　by　the　people　for　their　repeal。　　Events　in　these　days　march　so　quickly　that　they　leave　men　behind；　and　our　dear　old　Protectionists　at　home　will　have　grown　sleek　upon　American　flour　before　they　have　realized　the　fact　that　they　are　no　longer　fed　from　their　own　furrows。　I　have　given　figures　merely　as　regards　the　trade　of　Buffalo；　but　it　must　not　be　presumed　that　Buffalo　is　the　only　outlet　from　the　great　corn…lands　of　Northern　America。　　In　the　first　place；　no　grain　of　the　produce　of　Canada　finds　its　way　to　Buffalo。　　Its　exit　is　by　the　St。　Lawrence　or　by　the　Grand　Trunk　Railway　as　I　have　stated　when　speaking　of　Canada。　　And　then　there　is　the　passage　for　large　vessels　from　the　upper　lakesLake　Michigan；　Lake　Huron；　and　Lake　Eriethrough　the　Welland　Canal；　into　Lake　Ontario；　and　out　by　the　St。　Lawrence。　　There　is　also　the　direct　communication　from　Lake　Erie；　by　the　New　York　and　Erie　Railway　to　New　York。　　I　have　more　especially　alluded　to　the　trade　of　Buffalo；　because　I　have　been　enabled　to　obtain　a　reliable　return　of　the　quantity　of　grain　and　flour　which　passes　through　that　town；　and　because　Buffalo　and　Chicago　are　the　two　spots　which　are　becoming　mo