RURAL ECONOMICS. 293 



States Reclamation Service 395.646 acres, United States Indian Service 172,912 

 acres, Carey Act 288,553 acres, iri-igation districts 533,142 acres, cooperative 

 enterprises 4,646,039 acres, commercial enterprises 1,444,806 acres, and indi- 

 vidual or partnership enterprises 6,258,401 acres. 



The leading food crops of the United States ( U. S. Dept. Com. and Labor, 

 Bur. Census [Press Btd.], 1911, Dec. l.'i, folio). — This is a preliminary statement 

 issued by the Bureau of the Census which presents statistics and other data 

 relative to the acreage, production, average yield per acre, and average number 

 of bushels per capita, together with figures for the imports and exports, of the 

 principal food crops in the United States for 1909, with comparisons with the 

 same ci'ops for 1899. 



It is pointed out that the total amount of land used for producing the 5 lead- 

 ing crops, corn, wheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rice, was 151,321,000 acres 

 in 1899 and 147,555,000 acres in 1909, a decrease of 2.5 per cent, whereas the pop- 

 ulation during the same period increased 21 per cent. This decrease in acreage 

 was entirely in wheat, for which the area fell off 15.8 per cent while the yield 

 increased 3.8 per cent. The area planted in corn increased 3.7 per cent, with 

 a decrease in the average yield per acre from 28.1 bu. in 1899 to 25.9 bu. in 

 1909. There were marked increases in both the acreage and yield of ix)tatoes, 

 sweet potatoes, and rice. 



Poultry on farms in continental United States { U. 8. Dept. Com. and Labor, 

 Bur. Census [Press Bui.], 1911, Dec. 28, folio). — This is a press bulletin from 

 the Bureau of the Census showing that 5,585,032, or 87.8 per cent of the total 

 number of farms in the United States, reported poultry in 1910. The number 

 of fowls reported was 295,880,000 against 250,624,000 in 1900 with an average 

 value of 52 cts. each, an increase of 18 cts. per fowl since 1900. About 95 per 

 cent of the total were chickens. A decrease of 44.1 per cent is noted in the 

 number of turkeys, 39.3 per cent in the number of ducks, and 21.9 per cent in 

 the number of geese as compared with 1900. 



Tables are also given showing the distribution of fowls by geographical divi- 

 sions. It is noted that 55.9 per cent of the total value of poultry in the United 

 States is found in the following 10 States, ranking in the order named: Iowa, 

 Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Michigan, 

 and Texas. 



Marketing' grain and live stock in the Pacific coast region, F. Andrews 

 (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bur. Statis. Bui. 89, pp. 9Ji, figs. 2).— This bulletin points out 

 that the production and marketing of grain on the Pacific coast is of particular 

 economic signiticance to the Ignited States by reason of the fact that the farmer 

 there looks to European ports and not to grain centers of the United States 

 for his markets. The same is true as to live stock although not to such a 

 marked degree. 



It is shown that the grain of the Pacific coast is carried 18,000 miles by sea 

 to the English miller cheaper than by the 2,000-mile haul across the mountains 

 to milling centers in the Mississippi Valley. For instance the total ocean 

 freight rate and marine insurance on wheat to England is estimated at from 

 16.75 to 22.5 cts. per bushel from Sacramento and 39.0 cts. to Chicago. Corre- 

 sponding rates from Pendleton, Oreg., and Spokane and Walla Walla, Wash., 

 r.re estimated at from 24.25 to 31.2 cts. to England and 34.5 cts. to Chicago. 



The approximate cost for marketing in England wheat from country shipping 

 points in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, including commission, warehouse, and 

 freight charges, etc., is roughly estimated at from 18.606 to 40.525 cts. per 

 bushel, and that of barley at from 14.707 to 34.025 cts. 



