104 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



The wants of Great Britain control the wheat mar- 

 ket of the world. Of the wheat consumed in Great 

 Britain one- third to one- half is home grown. Fifty 

 years ago only three per cent was imported. In that 

 time the price has fallen thirty-five per cent, and the 

 consumption has increased thirty-two per cent per 

 inhabitant. The consumption per capita is given at 

 5. 5 bushels. Other grains used increase the quantity 

 to the equivalent of ten bushels of wheat per inhabitant. 



The United States raises the most wheat of any 

 nation on the globe. The following presents the es- 

 sential statistics for the average of ten years, 1870- 



1879, and 1880-1889: 



1870-79. 1880-89. 



Area, acres 25,000,000 37,000,000 



Yield, bushels 312,000,000 450,000,000 



Value, dollars 327,000,000 372,000,000 



^ Ya l n tf per bu., dollars. !*f: 1.05 0.83 



Yield per acre, bu 12.4 12.1 



Value per acre, dollars 13.00 10.00 



The yield during this decade increased forty-four 

 per cent over that of the previous decade. The value 

 of the crop increased only fourteen per cent. The 

 value per bushel was twenty- two cents less during 

 this decade than during the previous one, and the 

 value per acre was three dollars less. The yield per 

 acre has not materially decreased. 



According to recent estimates forty-two per cent of 

 the wheat grown in this country is consumed in the 

 county in which it is grown. Of this eleven per cent 

 is required for seed. About one- fourth of our crop is 

 usually available for export. About one-third of the 

 crop, therefore, is consumed in this country outside of 

 the county in which it is grown. 



While wheat is grown in every State in the Union 



