80 The RotTiamsted Wheat Experiments. 



and the number given for the next midsummer, thus 

 bringing the estimate up to the end of February. Any 

 irregularities are detected immediately after the Census 

 years. 



6. The average consumption of wheat per head of the 

 population per annum is a difficult matter to determine. In 

 the first paper (1868) the estimate was founded on the calcu- 

 lation of eighty-six different dietaries, arranged in fifteen 

 divisions, according to sex, age, activity of mode of life, 

 and other circumstances ; and the result so obtained was 

 compared with that arrived at on the basis of the population, 

 and of the amounts of the available home produce, and of 

 the net imports of wheat each year. For Scotland, and for 

 Ireland, it was only possible to found an estimate on the 

 basis of population, and on the amounts of the home and 

 foreign supplies. On these bases the average consumption of 

 wheat in the United Kingdom collectively was estimated to 

 be 5J bushels per head of the population per annum, during 

 the later years to which the inquiry related. This estimate 

 is, in the course of the second paper (1880), submitted by the 

 investigators to close criticism. They comment on the fact 

 that the average consumption per head has increased in the 

 United Kingdom as a whole since the establishment of free 

 trade in corn, though probably more rapidly at first. The 

 quantity consumed will vary according to the prosperity or 

 otherwise of the people, to the price of wheat itself, and to 

 that of other articles of food also. Independently of the 

 influence of lower prices for wheat, and of the increased 

 prosperity of the masses of the population, among the cir- 

 cumstances tending to increase the consumption of wheat in 

 recent years may be mentioned the increased price of meat ; 

 whilst, among those tending to limit the rate of increase of 

 consumption, may be noted the fact that the proportion of 

 the total wheat consumed which is derived from foreign 

 sources is rapidly increasing, and the drier foreign wheats 

 will undoubtedly yield a larger percentage of flour, and flour 



