ANNUAL EEPORT—COMMERCE. 
75 
portation has become so imperative that further delay must 
result in immense loss to the public and private interests. In 
proof of this assertion, I quote, at some length from a memo¬ 
rial to congress, adopted by the canal conventions held at 
Prairie du Chien in 1868, and at Portage City in 1869. The 
statistics are understood to have been collected and compiled 
by Breese J. Stevens, Esq., chairman of the committee of the 
convention, the carefulness and thoroughness of whose investi¬ 
gation of the whole subject are a sufficient warranty of their 
correctness: 
PRESENT NECESSITY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT. 
“ The commerce of thirteen states and four territories in 
greater or less degree stands in present need of this water 
channel as its eastern outlet. 
“ It is impracticable to present in this paper a statement of 
the nature and extent of the productions of the thirteen states 
and territories, or even of the entire production of a single 
state. 
“ The states of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Min¬ 
nesota, known as the five most productive of the famous eight 
‘ food producing states,’ are more deeply and immediately in 
need of this outlet. The following statement of the increase 
and extent of the grain crop of these states will furnish a fair 
sample of the increase and extent* of the entire productions of 
each and all of the states and territories referred to: 
