WHEAT PRICES 161 



199. Exports and Imports. The principal countries hav- 

 ing a surplus of wheat for export are Russia, United States, 

 Argentina, Roumania, Canada, and Australia. The total 

 exports of wheat and wheat flour of the world amounted to 

 537,000,000 bushels annually for the five years from 1905 

 to 1909 inclusive. Of this amount, Russia exported 131,- 

 000,000 bushels; the United States, 120,000,000 bushels, 

 or about one-fifth of the annual crop; and Argentina, 109,- 

 000,000 bushels. The principal importing countries are the 

 United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and 



H* 



Fig. 57. Wheat in sacks awaiting shipment in eastern Oregon. This 

 method is practical because no rain is to be expected in this region during the 

 harvest season. There are about 300,000 bushels of wheat on the platform. 



Italy. The United Kingdom imports 209,000,000 bushels 

 annually, or about one-third of the total imports of the world. 

 200. Prices. The average farm price of wheat on Decem- 

 ber 1st in the United States for the ten years from 1901 to 

 1910 is given by the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture as 79.7 cents per bushel. The price varied during 

 that period from 63 cents in 1902 to 99 cents in 1909. The 

 farm price of wheat varies considerably in different sections 

 of the United States, depending upon the local supply and 

 demand and the distance from market. In the North 

 Central states west of the Mississippi River, including Minne- 



