THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHEAT CULTURE IN NORTH AMERICA. 231 
of English seed at Jamestown seem not to have been very successful. 
By 1800 wheat was raised along the entire Atlantic border except the 
southern parts of the coastal plain, but the Middle States from New York 
to Virginia assumed pre-eminence and held the centre of wheat for more 
than a generation. Meantime in 1769 missionaries carried the grain to 
California. ‘There was important export to the West Indies in the early 
years of the Federal Government, until Great Britain shut out the ships 
of the United States from this trade. In 1787 wheat was among 
American exports to Mauritius. But it was long before the United 
States assumed a commanding position as a purveyor of bread, for in 
the decade 1830-40 she imported several million bushels of wheat to 
feed her own population. 
In the later years of the eighteenth and the first decades of the nine- 
teenth century western New York, or the Genesee country, proved its 
suitability in soil and climate for the growing of winter wheat. On the 
completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 the industry was favoured by 
suitable prices, the region was the famous wheat centre of the country, 
and Rochester was relatively as important for primary market facilities 
and milling as Minneapolis is to-day. The primacy of western New 
York was held until wheat began strongly to occupy the States north of 
the Ohio River. 
Before tracing the westward march of the wheat centre it will be 
useful to survey the expansion of acreage and production during recent 
decades, or since 1866. It is this period of progress which has more 
than historical interest, since it has to do with any forecast of the future. 
From 1866 to 1875 the acreage in the United States varied between 
15 to 26 millions, and there was a consistent rise from the beginning 
to the end of the decade. In the following ten years, to 1885, the range 
was from 26 to 39 million acres, giving on the whole a steady increase, 
but showing only 34 million acres in 1885. The period 1886-1895 ranged 
from 34 to 39 million, with smaller acreage in the later years. From 
1896 to 1905 the minimum was 34 and the maximum 49 million, but 
from 1898 to the present time the limits have been 42 and 49 million 
acres. The highest figure—49 million acres—has been reached twice, 
in 1901 and 1903, and the significant element in the figures is the high 
average of the last dozen years. 
Turning to production, the total for 1866 in the United States was 
151 million bushels. In the next year, 1867, production passed the 
200 million mark permanently. Another milestone was passed in 1874 
with 308 millions. In 1878 the crop was 420 millions, and in 1882 
504 millions. There were fluctuations in the following years, for produc- 
tion from 18838 to 1890 only once reached the 500 million mark, but 
1891 made a showing of 611 millions, and 1898 brought 675 million 
bushels. The average from 1898 to 1908 has been 643 million bushels, 
and the maximum was, in 1901, 748 million bushels. 
If single States be considered, some curious fluctuations are 
observable. Thus Kansas has never attained even fourth place in a 
census year, yet holds the State record with her crop of 99 million 
bushels in 1901. She has at least four times passed Minnesota’s record 
of 80 million bushels. Minnesota dropped from 68 millions in 1899 
to 51 millions in 1900, and leaped to 80 millions in 1901. North Dakota 
in the same years went from 51 to 18 and back to 59 millions. Kansas 
