58 PLANT SUCCESSION AND CROP PRODUCTION 



Clinton, Fayette, Highland, Pike, Ross, and Pickaway Counties. 

 The third includes Darke, Preble and Butler Counties. 



(b) Wheat 



Brigham (1910, pp. 44 and 45) has shown in the yield of wheat 

 of the United States by decades, 1839 to 1899 inclusive, that six 

 times out of the possible seven Ohio has been within the first four 

 states in production. The rapid westward progress of the center 

 of wheat production is shown in the fact that Illinois was not men- 

 tioned in the group of four until 1859. It took first place and held 

 that for three years before dropping out of the lists as suddenly as 

 it entered. In forty-one years, 1866 to 1906, Ohio has produced 

 1,247,082,674 bushels of wheat, an average of thirty million 

 bushels per year. It has eight times exceeded forty millions. 



The following table from the Twelfth Census gives the loca- 

 tion of the wheat centers of the United States for the period 1850 

 to 1900. 



Wheat Center, U. S., 1850 to 1900 (Seconds Omitted) 



Approximate Location by Important Towns 



70 miles west of Des Moines, la. 



138 miles south by east of Des Moines. 



(In Missouri.) 

 69 miles northwest of Springfield, 111. 

 82 miles northeast of Springfield, 111. 

 18 miles north by east of Indianapolis, 

 Ind. 

 1850 40° 14' 81° 58' 57 miles east northeast of Columbus,0. 



In Ohio, as in all humid climate states, the average yield of 

 wheat is moderately high and is above the average for the whole 

 United States. The average yield for Ohio is sixteen and a fraction 

 bushels per acre. The average for the United States is something 

 like twelve bushels per acre. According to Thome (1917, pp. 48-50) 

 the average for Wayne County is nineteen bushels. In spite of 

 these higher yields per acre and therefore better returns per acre, 

 wheat is found centering in that part of the United States just 

 west of the corn belt. This is a region of less moisture than in the 

 corn belt and where corn production consequently is not at its high- 

 est development. 



The reasons for wheat being grown in this center are not diflEi- 

 cult to see. Where coiti can be grown to its greatest advantage it 



