112 



READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



The table includes five crops and five animal products. The 

 lowest prices ever reported for each class of products was in 1896. 

 The general average for that year was 59 per cent of the average 

 prices for 73 years. 



TABLE 6. AVERAGE PRICES OF PRODUCTS FOR GIVEN PERIODS 



Average for 



Seventy-three 



Years 



Average 

 1905 TO 1912 



Corn in New York (per bushel) . . . . 

 Winter wheat in New York (per bushel) 

 Cotton in New York (per pound) . . . 



Potatoes (per bushel) 



Oats in New York (per bushel) . . . . 



Hogs (per hundred) 



Beeves (per hundred) 



Sheep (per hundred) 



Butter (per pound) 



Eggs (per dozen) 



$0.66 

 1.25 

 0.154 

 0.65 

 0.45 



5-74 

 4.00 

 0.244 

 0.226 



$0.66 

 1.04 

 0.1 18 

 0.62 

 0.47 

 6.78 



6-37 

 4.29 

 0.262 

 0.287 



The prices for the crops for the last 8 years considered are no 

 higher than the average for the 73 years. The animal products 

 are higher. This is primarily due to very low prices of animal 

 products before 1870, when range was free. Since 1896 grains 

 have been rising in price faster than meat. 



1840 



1850 



18C0 



1870 



1880 



1890 



1900 



1910 



Average Wholesale Prices in Cities, of Five Important Farm Crops and Five 



Important Animal Products. The Average for 73 Years equals 100 Per Cent. 



Present Prices are only a little Higher than the 73 -Year Average 



