AN ENQUIRY. 35 



in the United Kingdom gone on decreasing and 

 in other countries increasing, but Avhilst in the 

 United Kingdom the number of bushels per 

 inhabitant in 1831-40 stood at 16, it has now- 

 diminished to about 7 to 8, whilst in the other 

 countries whose populations, like our own, have 

 considerably increased, the number of bushels of 

 grain per inhabitant has increased, a fact which 

 is very remarkable. 



If we tvirn to the cereal, wheat, we find an 

 equally remarkable state of things. For instance, 

 according to Mulhall, production in the United 



Kingdom has been as follows : — 



Millions of 

 bushels. 



1831—40 120 



1851—60 121 



1871—80 85 



1881—87 78 



1888 76 



1894 58 



since which time the acreage devoted to wheat 

 has greatly diminished in the United Kingdom. 

 Nevertheless, France has increased her yield 

 from 190 to 340 millions of bushels from the first to 

 the last dates just named; Germany, 50 to 117; 

 Russia, 110 to 300; Austria, 65 to 180; Italy, 

 60 to 117; Spain, 58 to 100; the United States, 

 78 to 454 ; Canada 6 to 33 ; and Australia 2 to 

 40. 



CoxsuiirTTOX OF Grain and !Meat. 



In the United Kingdom, compared with the 

 population of the country, we produce at the pro- 

 sent time 7 to 8 bushels of grain per inhabitant, 

 whereas in 1870 we produced 11 bushels per 



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