270 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



These seven States are known as the maize surplus States, 

 because they are practically the only States which supply the 

 commercial centers with maize. Notwithstanding the fact that 

 over ninety per cent of the entire crop was limited to twenty- 

 one States, outside of these seven surplus States, maize is 

 largely consumed where raised. Other States besides the 

 seven named, therefore, need not be taken into consideration in 

 the commerce of this crop, except as they need more or less 

 from the surplus States for consumption. Although the tendency 

 of maize production is to concentrate in areas affording the 

 greatest natural advantages, and although the seven just named 

 will continue for years to be the surplus States, statistics show 

 that other States that do not make a business of maize raising, 

 notably those on the Atlantic seaboard, are in recent years making 

 greater relative gains in maize production. 



361. Center of Maize Production. — During the last half cen- 

 tury the center of maize production has moved from southeast- 



- ern Ohio to southwestern 



Illinois (90° 27' 6" W. 

 Long.,and39° 19' 33" N. 

 Lat.), nearly due west 

 480 miles. The west- 

 ward movement of wheat 

 has been one-half faster. 

 While maize has moved 

 northward only about five 

 miles, wheat has moved 



northward ninety-nine miles. For twenty years the center of 



maize production has been nearly stationary. 



362. Production per Population. — The production of maize 

 has increased more rapidly than population during the past fifty 

 years. It is estimated, however, that the number of bushels of 

 maize per capita retained for consumption in the United States 

 «v'as more in the decade 1880-89 than in the succeedino^ decade 



Map showing the distribution of maize produced 

 the United States in 1900. 



