THE CONSUMPTION OP WHEAT 6 



straw is of especial importance on the farm. The 

 production of these commodities has given rise to a 

 flour-milling industry employing 66 mills in 1910, 

 with a production of flour to the value of 1,248,000, 

 while the production of bran and pollard is con- 

 siderable. 



New Zealand is considered as an exporter of wheat, 

 but very often her total supply is almost wholly con- 

 sumed at home.* For the years 1907-8 the quantities 

 exported were only 1,374 and 1,385 bushels respec- 

 tively, while, owing to a general scarcity at the close 

 of 1914, the Government made arrangements for the 

 purchase and import of considerable quantities from 

 Australia and Canada to meet the local deficiency. 

 The "New Zealand Official Year Book" for the past 

 ten years r has estimated the consumption per head 

 of the population at six bushels. From more recent 

 statistics it appears that there has been a rise in the 

 per capita consumption. For the decade 1904-13 I 

 have estimated the average annual per capita con- 

 sumption by using statistics of exportation, importa- 

 tion, production, acreage, and population in the fol- 

 lowing manner: From the total of production and 

 importation the amount exported has been deducted 

 together with the amount used for seed for the new 

 crop, calculated by taking the amount of seed wheat 

 per acre at 2 bushels. This latter .calculation is 

 inclined to exaggerate the amount used for seed, but 

 most land in New Zealand requires from 1 to 2 

 bushels per acre, and as much is sown late in the year 

 the amount is more often nearer 2 bushels than 1, 

 hence the exaggeration is but slight. 



The amount obtained after these calculations is 

 taken as the consumption for the Dominion, and the 

 per capita consumption estimated from this. 



The calculations thus obtained were as follows, the 



* Circumstances which have rendered the importation of 

 small quantities necessary during the past three years may be 

 considered ae extraordinary. 



