GEOGEAPHICAL PHASES OF FARM PRICES: CORN. 39 



GEOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN SOURCES OF CORN SUPPLY AND OTHER PRICE FACTORS. 



In conclusion, a statistical review from 1871 to 1915 is appended 

 in Table 9, showing geographic changes in sources of the domestic 

 corn supply, relation of production to population, and other factors. 



Since 1871-1875 corn production has nearly trebled, but the frac- 

 tion as well as quantity of corn exported has declined, likewise the 

 percentage of shipments out of counties where grown. Consequently, 

 the farm consumption has increased. Per capita production, how- 

 ever, has declined since 1882-1886 (31 bushels per capita against 28.5 

 in 1911-1915). 



Notwithstanding the fact that the average production has increased 

 from about 1 billion bushels at the first period to 2f billions at 

 the last, the percentage of corn in the total improved land has fallen 

 off. Increased crops are due to new areas which have been brought 

 under cultivation rather than to an increased proportion of farm 

 land devoted to corn. 



Of the two corn-surplus divisions, the West North Central section 

 has nearly quadrupled its production, while the crop of the East North 

 Central States has less than doubled. The fraction of the national 

 crop produced in the East North Central States has dropped from 

 38.8 per cent in 1871-1875 to 28.7 per cent in 1911-1915, while in the 

 West North Central part in the same periods it has risen from 25.2 

 per cent to 35.9 per cent. A similar reversal obtains in hog produc- 

 tion, which absorbs the largest quantity of corn in these two divi- 

 sions. But, while the per cent of the total improved land occupied 

 by corn has increased slightly in the older section, it has declined 

 notably in the newer or western half. Moreover, in proportion to 

 population (per capita production) in the more recent periods di- 

 minishing ratios are shown. 



By far the highest percentage of increased production is shown 

 in the Mountain States, wherein production has increased 347 per 

 cent in the last decade (although per capita production has risen 

 only from 2 bushels to 4.6 bushels). Secondary only to those of this 

 section are the increased crops in the corn-deficiency States farthest 

 to the south and north ; on the south from South Carolina to Louis- 

 iana, and on the north from Washington to the Dakotas. 



