THE QUESTION OF WHEAT, 3 



'culturally independent. Its population has ceased to grow in due 

 proportion to its own need or to tlie surrounding peoples, and this 

 indication of some social distemper is disquieting the economists and 

 statesmen of the nation. The people are industrious, frugal, and on 

 the whole prosperous. Yet Trance depends, and must depend, upon 

 foreign supplies of coal, iron, lead, petroleum, or copper. More than 

 fifty-six per cent of its exports are of manufactured articles, and only 

 fifteen per cent of its imports answer that description. The imports 

 of raw materials constitute 56.5 per cent of the total imports, and on 

 them is based the great industries of France. 



While industrially dependent upon foreign supplies, France is 

 in a better condition as to food. About one third of the value of 

 all imports is represented by articles thus described. Of the 

 $230,000,000 represented, almost one half is composed of coffee, 

 wines, sugars, and tropical fruits, and only one eighth of grain, 

 meats, and dairy products which could compete with the domestic 

 product. While the proportion varies slightly from year to year, 

 it is remarkable how uniform the demand for foreign wheat has 

 been. Since 1875 in only three years have great differences from 

 the average movement been shown. In 1879 and 1880 the effects 

 of six bad seasons were reflected in the largest imports ever made — 

 22,000,000 and 20,000,000 metric quintals respectively — and in 

 1891 with its 19,000,000 quintals. Throughout this period the 

 extent of territory under wheat was almost unchanged, the year 

 1891 alone giving a notable decrease, which was made good in the 

 following year, but the product naturally varied with the good and 

 bad seasons. This uniformity of area has arisen from two causes: 

 the conservatism of the French peasant, and the liberal encourage- 

 ment from government. Not only has this combination maintained 

 domestic production so far as that can be measured by mere extent 

 of land devoted to wheat, but it has also restrained foreign competi- 

 tion in the French markets. 



The table on the following page shows the area, product, and 

 imports of wheat from 1875 to 1896. In 1897 the area sown was 

 6,294,490 hectares, and the crop gathered was only 88,120,840 hecto- 

 litres. 



If the entire period be equally divided into two periods of eleven 

 years each, it is seen that the average area in the first eleven years was 

 6,920,690 hectares, and in the second 6,879,790 hectares, a reduc- 

 tion of only 0.6 or six tenths per cent, evidently due to the excep- 

 tional year 1891. The production in the first period was 101,556,- 

 000 hectolitres on an average, and in the second 108,262,000 hecto- 

 litres, an increase of more than six per cent. The higher average was 

 brought about by the remarkable returns of 1894, 1895, and 1896. 



