312 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



Re'at've increase in the population and in the product 

 of oats in the United States during a half century. 



1890 from about 400 million to 800 million, the most phenom 



enal increase in the 

 production of any 

 crop in America at 

 any period. 



425. Center of Pro- 

 duction. — The center 

 of production of oats 

 has shifted westward 

 and northward, as is 

 shown by the fact that while New York, Pennsylvania and 

 Ohio were the center of the crop in 1850, now (1900) the con- 

 centration is in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. This represents 

 a movement in the last half century of a little less than 120 

 miles northward (to 41° 39' 15" N. Lat.) and about 575 miles 

 westward (to 91° 8' 11'' W. Long.). This shows a northward 

 movement of oat produc- 

 tion twenty-one miles more 

 than of wheat and 1 1 5 

 miles more than of maize, 

 while the westward move- 

 ment has been ninet}^-five 

 miles more than of maize 

 and 105 miles less than of 

 wheat. 



The increasing use to 

 which maize is being put as feed for milch cows is largely 

 responsible for the relatively decreased area devoted to oat 

 production in some States, as is shown by the fact that the 

 n:ajority of the States which reported decreased acreages in 

 oats reported increased acreages in maize. These States were 

 principally in the dair}' sections. 



426. Export of Oats. — The quantity of oats exported is small 

 compared with wheat or maize, although increasmg relatively 





'^H 



MILLIOR BtOHO.* 



EII2ST0 30 



ZZ3>o TO ^s 



I ! BELOm lO 



Map showing the production of oats in the United 

 States in I9C0. 



