4 BULLETIN 755, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Compared to such products as corn or vegetables, gradual elevation 
in the price levels of oats is a distinguishing characteristic, as well as 
comparative regularity in the upward slope of prices from the region 
of minimum price. In the commerce in oats, a weight per bushel 
nearly half that of wheat or corn lowers the freight charges. More- 
over, the rate per 100 pounds is sometimes less than for wheat, 
consequently oats move at nearly half the expense of other cereals, 
and the greater the distance the more marked does this difference 1 in 
costs of transportation become. 
The trend of the price levels is evidently closely related to such 
influences as the location of areas of surplus and deficient production, 
the local uses of oats, end to the group of factors which enter into 
the distributive movement. 
DISPOSITi:ON OF UNITED STATES OAT CROP. 
The price of oats is dominated by the demand for them as a feed- 
stuff; as such by far the larger part of the crop is consumed on farms, 
and second in importance is the consumption by live stock in cities. 
Imports and exports are normally unimportant, and only a small 
part of the crop is used for human food and for seed. 
A few general phases of the uses and distributive movement of oats 
are shown in Table 1. 
TaBLE 1.—Oats: Approximate distribution of the harvest of the United States. 
[Figures are five-year averages for the years 1911 to 1915. Number of bushels rounded to the nearest 
million.] 
Item. Per cent. Bushels. 
ETO CMUIC GOT a Vee IR EL hagas lasts ee tate te a eT TS TE epee ete alot nace DS 100.0 1, 229, 000, 000 
Shippedioutiohcounties wherejsrownleaseeeaseeeee cece esse essence ee eeeeeeee 29.0 361, 000, 000 
Remainingyin counties where grow ve 2.) acces eee ereeesia (eae oe ee men 71.0 868, 000, 000 
Farm consumption :2 
Florsesian dg mules). ceo eess atec ee ab eiiec et craig aoe eee ieee seater ine 46.4 570, 000, 000 
AMEN COM et OA CaS AGO Rae Se CUC GH aCe Meron HORNA A SUB CGABS ame Aemnadegos 5.0 61, 000, 000 
Othericattles eee see coe ckes oeceeree ils cialis oe SRR ee eee eee 1.8 22,000, 000 
SV AUT Sa Go SAB EESG SEA: OnE nE tert re OE RCnce Enger china MEE ons Ome 1.8 22, 000, 000 
Beep ee ee eR aie Seis ce Ok 2 ena niet ee ac) sia e are eee 1.8 22,000, 000 
TROUT GE yee ee Bae ge en Ee a et A 1G a ea 2.2 27, 000, 000 
Buen ELM GS Ss re NAS ass Rice lamcis tisjs sjnyemre © hie wie ale VS enero oe eto ara eee 9 12, 000, 000 
BRAUN Us Ae heer ent ees See SAA E Ee Bie t 055 SAS ee ROSHe snc c 7.6 94, 000, 000 
OnE: OT COUG Ha ee pee ie sreiss nie cine ate = Se eee See teehee siete 4.5 55, 000, 000 
NOE) lee SESE OC IER Sen ae mae cre METS MEINE See MSGS hb 72.0 885, 000, 000 
Not used on farms: 
LO @oOT RES pen Segoe ee boCree tn Son roo cae HORST aecsaoD oodckHoreuecdocnseeo0a 3.9 48,000, 000 
Consumed inumerchant flourgmallss25e2 2 se see eee meee see eeanee eee ele 4.1 50, 000, 000 
Other urban uses, principally consumption by over 3,000,000 horses in, 
cities, also human food (rolled oats and ‘breakfast foods’ 2s) herpes ate 20.0 246, 000, 000 
PT Ot ale oye alee ita lo tsjain ala mente s iain etetaiaie rata a aialaletisietniane malaise tetera einnleteiotes 28.0 344, 000, 000 
1JTn the census year 1909, total sales of oats from farms constituted 32.7 per cent of the crop. Asin the 
same year shipments out of counties where grown amounted to 25.9 per cent, the difference represents 
approximately the local sales, amounting to 6.8 per cent of the crop. ; 
2U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers’ Bulletin 629, p. 8. (1914.) 
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