REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 289 
show that we are rapidly gaining the control of this trade, and that other 
countries in Western Europe are not only retiring from competition with 
us, but also that they are opening markets for the increased disposal of 
our breadstufts. A social revolution is indicated by these facts. Pro- 
ductior and consumption are regulated by conditions greatly different 
from what they were six yearsago. The rapid enlargement of our wheat 
area was necessary to meet the ‘marked decline in European production. 
The proportion of our crop exported is rapidly growing. Of the crop of 
1877 over one-fourth was required to meet the foreign demand. From 
the rate at which we are now exporting breadstuits it would not be sur- 
prising to find at least 35 per cent. of cur vast product of 1878 taken by 
this export trade. 
The prices realized by the farmer have fluctuated for the last few 
years, but in 1878 they settled to a lower point than in any previous 
year. Hence, though the product of 1878 exceeded its predecessor by 
about 56,000, 000 bushels, its aggregate value fell off over $68,000, 000. 
This, howeve! *, being the result of a general decline of values toa specie 
basis, does not indicate a loss to the farmers at all in proportion to the 
figures. The price per bushel $0.77.7 in January, 1879, and the average 
value of the crop per acre, $10.16, are unprecedentedly_ low, but there is 
nothing to indicate that wheat products have declined in greater pro- 
portion than manufacturing products. The cheapness of this class of 
agricultural products is the result of their abundance, and this enables 
us to transport our grain across the ocean and undersell the wheat f farm- 
ers of the high-priced lands of Europe. 
| riers ¢ luswe [BE 
r r=) gS SRPHO ete 
2 A Lh ees Sa oe |S; 
: a fn aes Eee! Bog 
2 ~ ad — QO co s 
3 = 3 = pe: OTs uae. 
Years. Acreage. | © = oe BS ee: ages jaSy 
z. a ah ee Be S lekge wees 
& od u r= | 
ae | = RS) aN oe @ | Sfsdai2 s 
= 3 eed hee 6 | oan loss 
A m (<a le = a lz fo 
| | | | 
} | U | | j | > 
\Bush., Bushels. | | | Bushels. | P.ct. 
LS ee See eee 13, 098, 936; 13.2 173, 677, 928 $1. 40. 0: $197, 952, 837} $15 12} 41,468,447] 23.9 
LS ee eee | 13, 158, 089; 12.2} 160,695,823) 1.83.2) 294, 315, 119 22 37] 22, 959, 862) 14.3 
PEGD. ete acs wacasses 12, 304, 894) 12.1 148, 552, 829) 1.46.3) 217,33 , 195) 17 66; 16, 494, 553 eae: 
PSGG5 oewen cn sc cscs 15, 424,496} lu | 151,999,906) 2.06. 4, 333, 773, 646} 21 64! 12,646,941) 8.3 
WEB Te setcn cniac ace eaaw 18, 321,561) 11.5; 212,441,400} 1.98.5) 421, 796, 460) 23 02) 26, 323, O14 12.4 
GS Se eee 18, 460,152} 12.1! 224,036,600) 1.42.5 319, 195 290; 17 29) 29) 717,201, 13.2 
WRG Cen aaticcdamuscades 19, 181, 004) 13. 5| 260, 146,900) 0.94.1) 244,924,120, 12 76) 58, 900, 780) 20.7 
UN 22 a es 18, 992,591) 12. 4) 235, 884,700) 1.04.2) 245, 865, 045 12 94| 52, 574, 11) 22.3 
Lys 3 eee i 19, 943, 893} 11. 5| 230, 722,400) 1.25.8) 290,411,820; 14 56) 38, 995, 755) 16.9 
Were Ree mine wale a'sics a | 20,858,359) 11.9) 249,997,100) 1.24 | 310,180,375) 14 §7/ 52; 014,715, 20.8 
UGE At eee eee Soe 22,171, 676) 12.7 281, 254,700) 1.15 323, 594, 805 14 59} 91,510,398) 32.6 
iin) Sa 5 See ee eee 24, 967, 027; 12.3] 309,102,700} 0.94.1 291, 107, 895, 11 66) 72,91 9) 817} 23.5 
WRG aeces oni Sai cec sa 26, 381,512; 11 | 292,136,000} 1.00 | 294, 580, 990 11 16) 7h 750, G82| 25.6 
MA Gee ca s.ccccn cedese 27, 627,021; 10.4) 289,356,500) 1.03.7] 300, 259, 300 10 85; 57,149,949; 19.7 
USS eee | 26, 277, 546) 18.9} 364,194,146) 1.08.2 394, 695,779, 15 08! $2,141,626) 25.3 
UT tim oe atest mo os cists =s< | 32, 108, 560} 13. ai 420, 122, 400) 77. 7) 326, 346, 424) TO REG emma ee ee 
Average of whole.-| 20, 579, §31| 12.2 250, 270, 127| 1.20.3] 300,398,131] 14 60/.....- foes hese se 
| | | i | | 
Average 1863-70 | 16,117,713] 12.2] 195, 929, 511) 1.45.1) 284, 399, 089, 17 bal ee 
Averago 1871~'78...| 25, 041,949] 12.2] 304,610,743] 1.03.9] 316,397,173! 12 63|..........-. eee 
3 | Pome 
CORN PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 
The table given below embraces the results of sixteen annual investi- 
gations of the corn crops, and shows our remarkable progress in this 
branch of production. As in the case of wheat, the first three years in- 
cluded in the table were years of civil war, and a large portion of our 
corn area was involved in its disasters. Hence the ageregates for those 
19 AGR 
