STATISTICS OF WHEAT CULTURE. 



223 



of wheat to other markets besides those of Great Britain or her 

 North American colonies, viz., to Europe, Asia, Africa, the "West 

 Indies and South America, California and Australia, manufactured 

 flour being the article required for these latter markets. Nearly 

 four million bushels of Indian corn, and 300,000 barrels of corn 

 meal, are exported from the United States to the West Indies 

 and other foreign markets. 



From the abstracts of statistical returns prepared at the Ame- 

 rican Census office, it appears that Pennsylvania, in 1850, was 

 the largest wheat producing State of the Union. I have had the 

 curiosity to compare the most prominent States in respect to 

 this crop, and give them below, with the crop of each, as shown 

 by the returns -. 



Bushels. 



Pennsylvania 15,482,191 



Ohio 14,967,056 



Virginia 14,516,900 



New York 13,073,000 



Michigan 4,918,000 



Maryland 4,494,680 



That the United States could export 6,000,000 bushels of wheat, 

 and its equivalent in flour in 1845 ; 13,000,000 in 1846, 26,000,000 

 in 1847, and then fell back to 13,000,000 in 1848, and 6,000,000 

 in 1849, with their production of wheat constantly increasing 

 throughout this period, shows a wonderful elasticity, and exten- 

 sive home market. If the price of wheat is higher in proportion 

 than for corn, the Americans export the former and consume the 

 latter ; if the demand for corn be also great, they kill their hogs 

 and export corn, for the pork will keep. If there be no great 

 demand for either, they eat their surplus wheat, feed their hogs 

 with the corn, and export pork as having the greatest value in 

 the least bulk. 



DESTINATION OF FLOUR SHIPPED FROM THE UNITED STATES. 



