5 Wye ae ee ay «eed i r a” — 27° 2-75 “ _ 4 1” 3 = Fo “| 
a - “ers | Ns eet x ted tee 2 ‘ ‘ . - Ft te) ‘ 
ie re 
Lee REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. _ ; 533 
eS Pee « . ‘ é : ns , ‘ 
sumed a larger proportion than in any year since 1882, or almost 70 
- “per cent. The proportions consumed in the several secti ns, or 
groups of States, are as follows: 
Sections. | 1883. | 1884. | 1885. | 1886, | 1887. 1888. 
a | / } 
fe] | | | | 
ty | Percent.| Per cent. Per cent. Percent. Per cent.| Per cent. 
Semebe un Land |... sao... dvds seas oscs--< H 70.2 | 66.2 | 62.9 | 61.6 | 63.3 65.4 
To Sa Si Se 2 ces in es ace aos bps 1-6 68.2) 63.4; 59.3) 61.8 65.6 
UMM Pears Bae Eey Siz chia Yio= aes od</.s 56.5 58.6 | 58.6 | 54.6 | 58.1 55.5 
SS entero ees 65.2 69.3) 63.34 61.6] 65.6 69.6 
emetic! . i... 20... 4. Ge 2 RT 74.6) 70.7; 60.4) 68.4 70.5 78.3 
_ Nevada, Colorado, and Territories... .2-.: |. 6.0} 70.2 | 65.5) 68.3 7.0 59.5 
| i 
Considering quantities rather than proportions, the real signifi-. 
 eance of the changes in distribution are seen. The South, with a 
ood crop, has almost 30,000,000 bushels in excess of the stock of- 
ast March on hand; while the West, where drought was so severe, 
has a stock less by over 127,000,000 bushels, a reduction of almost 
one-third, notwithstanding the stringent economy in feeding enforced 
by scarcity and high prices. The comparison, by sections, of the 
quantities on hand at the 1st of March of recent years is as follows: 
Sections. 1885. 1886. 1887. | 1888. 
| 
. Bushels. |P.ct.| Bushels. |P.ct.| Bushels. |p. ct.| Bushels.. |P.ct 
New Engiand ........... 8,132,944 | 87.1 | 3,344,420 | 38.4 3, 208, 200 36.7 3,177,620 | 34.6 
je 7a Ue a -| 29,712,800 | 36.6 | 34,165,780 | 40.7 | 29,045,170 | 38.2 ,595,170 } 34.4 
Say tao i oe | 144,798,t60 | 41.4 | 178, 606, 340 | 45.4 | 158,354, 600 41.9 | 187,825,040 | 44.5 
AS Pare he See 490, 021,950 | 86.7 | 549,084,080 | 33.4 | 405,409,820 | 34.4 | 278,119,160} 30.4 
(2S ee eee | 1,965,920 | 39.6 | 1,258,400 | 31.6} 1,310,640 | 29.5 1,061,960 | 21.7 
' Nevada, Colorado, and | | } 
SPEMTHORICS «2... ss. we | 5,578,190 | 34,5 | 6,587,470 | 36.7 6, 016,220 | 38.0 9,494,560 | 40.5 
———— Se ————. — , —_ ux“ ——. —— 
PR OLEL reo. a2. 675, 210, 664 | 37.6 | 773,046,490 | 39.9 603, 344,650 | 36.2 | 508,278,510 | 34.9 
The scarcity of corn in the West appears more conspicuous by 
_ showing its relative proportion to the aggregate of the stocks on 
hand. Two years ago the Western remainder was 71 per cent. of the 
whole; now it is only 55 per cent. Two years ago the Southern re- 
mainder was 23 per cent. of the whole; now it is 37 per cent. This 
explains what could not be understood in the drought districts, even 
by intelligent men, when the crop prospects of the whole country 
pointed to an aggregate so much above the indications of the crops 
in their immediate vicinity. This explains more than three-fourths 
of.the incredulity and criticism to which crop reports are subjected. 
The man who has not been out of his own township is vastly more 
confident and dogmatic than he who has visited several States. The 
latter, however, is sure to judge of forty States and Territories solely 
by what he has seen of the remainder. : 
This western division, comprising twelve States, may be appropri- 
ately reduced to seven, usually known as the corn-surplus States, 
which alone make any material contributions to the commercial sup- 
ply. These States show a remainder only one-half of that of two years 
ago. <A reduction from 481,713,960 to 240,559,080 is extraordinary, 
and would make more impression on prices than is yet apparent but 
for the prevailing general depression of values. Lowa appears to 
have the largest stock, and the largest proportion with the exception 
. of Nebraska. In these States the reduction from last year’s stock in 
March exceeds 100,000,000 bushels. As the commercially available 
- maize is nearly all in these States, it is seen that the statistical situa- 
