AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 377 



short fourteen counties, which neglected their return. These counties, calculating on the 

 basis of their product of 1851, produced in 1850, 2,978,116 bushels, making the true aggre- 

 gate of that year 31,747,255. With our increase in ground opened and sowed in wheat for 

 the past five years, the stimulus of high prices in prospect under foreign demand, and the 

 great productiveness of the season itself, I am persuaded that I do not put the increase of 

 the present crop too high at 8,252,745 bushels — which would give the aggregate I claim for 

 Ohio, of forty millions. 



The truth is, that all the important facts as regards the quantity of wheat this year, lie in 

 a narrow compass. The seven States I have referred to furnish largely more than half the 

 entire wheat crop of the country, while their surplus is nearly the entire surplus of the United 

 States — the residue of the States affording little more than the home supply throughout them- 

 selves. Hence, if we know the increased crop of these States, we substantially know what 

 the aggregate increase of the whole crop is. Upon the question "What will be the surplus 

 of the wheat crop in the United States for 1855?" Mr. Cist adds the following remarks, which 

 will be found to contain important and valuable information: — "This question is not one of 

 ready solution, because that surplus is as elastic as India-rubber. It depends entirely on 

 circumstances. If Europe wants wheat or flour from us, and is obliged to pay, as lately, 

 high prices, it is difficult to limit our surplus. Unless her harvests fail to an extraordinary 

 degree, we have enough to supply all her wants. Paradoxical as it appears, the more she 

 wants the more we have to spare, and the less she wants the less we shall have for export. 

 If she wants none, we shall have none for export. The surplus will, in that case, be used 

 freely at home, and beyond that use, what is not required for seed will be stored away for 

 the next season's sale for home or foreign consumption. If, on the other hand, high prices 

 rule, less wheat will be used at home. Indian corn, potatoes, &c. will take its place exten- 

 sively, and the shipments of wheat and flour to Europe of this year's crop surpass for quan- 

 tity all precedent. For the purpose of illustrating my views, I submit a table of our annual 

 product of wheat since 1839, together with our exports of the article from same date: — 



United States Crop, and Export of Wheat for a Series of Years. 



Exports. Exports. 



Year. Crop. Bushels. 



1840 84,833,263 11,198,098 



1841 98,980,727 8,447,670 



1842 102,317,240 7,235,998 



1843 100,310,356 6,025,546 



1844 95,697,000 7,751,787 



1845 106,548,000 6,365,866 



1846 94,455,412 13,268,175 



1847 118,330,155 12,309,972 



1848 114,245,000 26,312,431 



Year. Crop. Bushels. 



1849 126,364,000 10.366,417 



1850 104,799,250 8,656,982 



1851 110,032,394 13,948,499 



1852 117,511,501 18,680,686 



1853 121,136,048 18,958,993 



1854 132,023,690 27,000,000 



1855 110,170,000 2,000,000 



1856 185,000,000 (?) 



"The years given above are taken of the export, not of the growth, being of course one 

 year later — the fiscal year of the United States ending June 30. Thus, for example: the 

 crop of 110,170,000 bushels, set down against 1855, refers to that harvested in 1854; and 

 the 2,000,000 bushels exported in 1855, or up to June, 1855, is from the crop harvested in 

 1854. 



"The export figures for 1854 and 1855 are obviously approximations merely; and although 

 I would not hold myself responsible for the absolute accuracy of the export returns, I doubt 

 not that they are substantially correct. They prove two or three important facts. It is 

 obvious by this table that the quantity of wheat exported from the United States is entirely 

 independent of the amount of the existing crop. Thus, the exports of 1848 and 1854 are in 

 quantity double those of 1847 and 1849, although the product of the first-named years did 

 not exceed those of the last two. The exports of 1840 and 1846 also doubled those of 1843 

 and 1845, although their crop was not as abundant by fifteen per cent. The exports of 1852 

 and 1853, on a crop of less than 239,000,000 bushels for both years, were more than 

 37,500,000 bushels, while the exports of 1842 and 1844, on a crop of nearly 200,000,000 

 bushels, hardly reached fifteen millions. In all those years it was the foreign demand, stimu- 

 lating high prices here, which enhanced the export, as it was the absence of that cause which 

 diminished the exports of others. If the foreign demand did not enlarge the export of 1855, 



