34 BULLETIN" 696, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE DISPARITY IN PRICES OF CORN, WHEAT, AND OATS DECREASING, 



As the price of one cereal affects that of the others to a considerable 

 degree, their relationship is suggestive. The difference between corn 

 and wheat prices has been steadily diminishing. At the beginning 

 (1871-1875) the average farm price of wheat in the United States 

 on December 1 was 58 cents more than that of corn (wheat $1.02, 

 corn 44 cents) ; at the end only 27 cents (wheat 87 cents, corn 60 



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Fig. 7. — Course of farm prices of wheat, corn, and oats, showing lessening differences. 



cents), the average wheat price dropping from two and one-third 

 times that of corn to only about one and one-half times. But as the 

 price of oats has not increased as rapidly, the disparity between corn 

 and oats has increased, between wheat and oats has narrowed ; wheat 

 has dropped from about three times the price of oats to a little oVer 

 twice its level. 



