PRODUCTION OF MAIZE 



271 



Diagram showing the increase in the production of maize as 

 compared with the population in the United States during 

 fifty years, according to the reports of the census of 1900. 



being 28.6 bushels per capita in the former and 25.5 bushels in 

 the latter. This is the heaviest rate of consumption of any cereal 



. .350 ,aeo .B.O .680 .a.o .^ ^y any people in 



\mxm\xi\i\m ^^ -n tltmrmtw±;mui:;rj^-rn the world. It is 



nearly twice as 



much according 



to population as 



the consumption 



of all the cereals 



in Europe. 



363. Yield per 

 Acre. — The a\er- 

 age yield of maize 

 grain during the 

 last two decades 

 was twenty-four 

 and one-tenth bushels, — nearly twice that of wheat. There 

 are several Southern States in which the annual yield is less 

 than ten bushels per acre. In the seven surplus maize States 

 the annual yield of maize is thirty-five bushels per acre. In 

 these States nothing less than fifty bushels per acre is con- 

 sidered satisfactory by progressive farmers, and yields of 

 seventy-five to ninety bushels per acre are not at all uncommon ; 

 while yields of more than 100 bushels per acre are frequently 

 reported. 



364. Export of Maize. — ^While a much smaller percentage 

 of the maize raised is exported than of wheat, the amount is 

 large and is increasing. But for the great shortage of tht maize 

 crop of 1 90 1, the average annual exportation of maize for the 

 five years 189 8- 1902 would have shown an enormous increase 

 over that of the five years 1893-1897. Notwithstanding this 

 great decrease, which makes the exportation of maize in 1902 

 by far the smallest for the ten years 1 893-1 902, the total expor- 

 tation for the five years given shows substantial gains over any 



