21 



The great increase of population which has taken place within the 

 period covered by the table has, of course, necessitated greatly increased 

 consumption, and the" comparison of the home production and the for- 

 eign importation, for successive periods, becomes of much interest. The 

 table shows that the average annual consumption over the four succes- 

 sive periods of eight years each, increase as follows : 



1852-3 to 1859-60, Annual Consumption, 17,812,643 quarters. 



1860-1 to 1867-8, " 20,351,473 " 



1868-9 to 1875-6, " " 22,134,901 " 



1875-6 to 1883-4, 24,536,234 



These amounts were supplied from home produce and importation as 

 follows: 



HOME PRODUCTION. IMPORTATION. 



1852-3 to 1859-60, 13,159,859 quarters. 4,652,784 quarters. 



1860-1 to 1867-8, 12,253,712 " 8,097,761 " 



1868-9 to l8 75~ 6 > n 6 i9>353 " lo^S'S^ " 



1875-6 to 1883-4, 8,754,751 15,781,483 



Thus, over the first eight years, only one-fourth of the wheat consumed 

 was obtained from foreign sources, whilst over the last eight years, nearly 

 two-thirds of the entire consumption were imported. It is probable that 

 the home produce will still decline, consequent chiefly on reduction 

 of area under cultivation ; whilst with increase of population, imports 

 must increase, and doubtless our supplies will be largely drawn from this 

 continent. 



It has been stated that, excluding recent bad seasons, the average 

 yield of wheat per acre of the old arable soils of Great Britain, is twenty- 

 eight bushels. Comparing this yield with that of the United States, as 

 shown in the above table, we find, on the authority of the U. S. Census 

 Bureau, that the general average of localities and years is 11.9 bushels 

 per acre ; a yield which is not equal to that of the continuously unma- 

 nured plot at Rothamsted, and which is considerably less than half the 

 average yield of Great Britain under ordinary cultivation. This may be 

 partly due to a shorter period of growth, and to rapid maturing, or in 

 some localities to deficiency of rain ; but it is probably largely also due 

 to want of sufficient labor to clean the land, and to consequent luxuri- 

 ance of weeds. 



Referring to the table, we find the general averages of the different 

 sections of the States ranging from 15.1 bushels per acre in New 

 England, to 7.3 bushels in the South Atlantic and Eastern Gulf States. 

 Even the North-west and Minnesota, including much prairie land, give 

 very meager average produce for such rich soil. So long as wheat is 

 grown on such lands under the conditions frequent, and indeed almost 

 inevitable, in the case of new settlement, that is, growing it year after 

 year, with deficient cultivation, luxuriance of weeds, and the burning of 

 the straw, only low yields per acre can be expected. The result is due 

 to the fact that, under such conditions, fertility is cheap and labor dear. 

 But with increased density of population, more mixed agriculture must 



