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the Rocky Mountains and Pacific coast. 
OATS. 
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The increase of the area of oats has been greater than that of corn 
or wheat, and still there is no surplus. The average was 11,000,000 
acres for 1870-79, and 21,000,000 for 1880-87. The averages of yield 
per acre, respectively, 28.4 and 26.5 bushels, a small decrease, while 
the increase of aggregate product has been 74.5 per cent. The en-— 
larged supply has reduced the average of price per bushel from 35.3 
to 32.8 cents, and the average value per acre from $10.03 to $8.71. 
The use of oatmeal as food for man has enlarged the demand for 
oats, and the necessity of partial substitution of oats for corn in the 
feeding of horses in the South is steadily enlarging the requirement 
in that direction. The area has increased proportionally more than 
that of wheat or corn, and the price has declined less, showing the 
need of a larger supply than formerly for domestic consumption. 
This fact has the greater significance, as it exists without any appre- 
ciable foreign demand, The decline in value per acre in a compari- 
son of the period is 13.2 per cent. for oats, 14.9 per cent. for corn, 
and 22.6 per cent. for wheat, according to the following table: ‘ 
. , Average | Average | Avera 
Years. PoueREeaue ei eee of | value per| yield per valine per 
; e . bushel. acre. acre. 
| - 
Bushels. Acres. | Cents. | Bushels. |, . 
417,885,380 | 16,187,977 $150, 243, 565 36.0 25.8 $9. 28 
416, 481, 000 16, 831, 600 193, 198, 970 46.4 2A.7 - 11.48 
488, 250, 610 18, 494, 691 182, 978, 022 37.5 26.4 9. 64 
571, 302, 400 20, 324, 962 187, 040, 264 | 33.0 28.1 SL 
583, 628,000 | 21,300, 917 161, 528, 470 | 28.0 27.4 7.58 
629, 409, 000 22, 783, 630 | 179, 631, 860 28.5 27.6 7.88 
624, 134, 000 23, 658, 474 186, 137, 930 | 29.8 | 26.4 7.87 
659, 618, 000 25, 920, 906 | 200, 699, 790 30. 4 25.4 V.74 
ERO ba eae heater ess 4,390, 708,390 | 165,503,157 | 1,441, 458, 871 eee) ipa 
Annual average... .| 548,838,549 | 20,687,895 180, 182, 359 i 82.8 26.5 | 8.71 
Annual average | 
for preceding ten 
VORES ie 3. tet sieis 314, 441,178 11, 076, 822 111, 075, 223 | 35.3 28.4 10. 03 
For oats, as in the case of corn, the uses are so many and various, 
for man and beast, that its consumption is elastic, depending much 
on price, while the restriction of wheat to one use, as food for man, 
‘with a demand uniform and not to be extended, subjects that grain 
to the inevitable and severe operation of the law by which quantity 
controls price. The area, product, and value of oats, by States, for 
1887, is as follows: 
States and Territories. Acres. | Bushels. Value. 
93, 205 | 2, 684,000 | $1, 127,280 
33, 749 | 965, 000 414, 950 
2 ; : 107-723} 2,736,000 | 1,094; 400 
WEASSA GHUSELESTS bien: cml pciayeepiie cate tein Oats nie cise eles Siatatel arctoiel sinkegciale 24, 752 | 703, 000 802, 290 
MOGe Vislamde nt ho baa. Rr gRea ee owe eee eek See en 6, 353 | 165, 000 70, 950 
| al ibarere WO rhe Aen ne MO ae Ean Ue eRe ee es SO ert Oc 39,417 | 1, Q88, 000 456, 960 
ING WAN Orc cee Ne Okts. T gL an ehe eRE ME Sonecyn ELT oy. Ri aiae ee COIS 1,413, 088 33, 208,000 | 12, 286, 960 
INE PALICIES NAS OOO Mle eae oS CEE Raced 2s NE ee en ate abe tS 2 136, 830 | 221, 000 1, 159, 560 
TecehaVaRsnya hes no ee ee RI Ghee RNIN NI VIN aU sey Ses Te Wea 1,330,234 | 83, 921,000,, 11,872,350 
1 DREN 2 = eae eae nC RR at ME BA Re NOT RTM PUR RR pai ET 21, 623 | 158, 000 151, 149) 
ALbER as ENC s Ween g Oe Vane BNO ews NUS ms tGn Arde aaracabn ofaarise gucdoS 117, 798 } 2, 438, 000 R04, 540 
NaRpinint he hell ook ieee aan ew RANGA, 652,665 | 11,095,000 | 3,883,250 
oa 
DR a aie oie as 2 SRR aty Oa e Rees Santos As ete ab tals. 1 ye ae ait 4 : 
544 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, = 
It is seen that the heaviest wheat is that of Indiana and Illinois, deg 
