COMMERCE IN MAIZE GRAIN 



623 



Figures for the United States include Alaska, Porto Rico, and CHAP. 

 Hawaii." xu - 



Table LXXXV. 

 WORLD'S EXPORTS OF MAIZE (IN BUSHELS OF 56 LBS.). 



580. United States Exports. — It is sometimes queried how 

 the United States can afford to export maize so cheaply. In 

 the " Corn-surplus States," from which most of the export 

 crop comes, farm-labour is not cheap (there is practically none, 

 if any, coloured or " native " labour, such as is available in 

 South Africa). The farm value, in 1909, was 7s. 3d. per 

 muid, or about the same as in ordinary years in the Transvaal 

 It should be borne in mind that — ■ speaking generally — the 

 American farmer does not grow for export ; he grows to feed 

 to stock, and sells only his surplus for manufacture or export. 

 He usually has a surplus, because he must plant enough to 

 provide for a possible bad year ; if the crop is moderately 

 good, he will still have some surplus for export, and if it is 

 very good, he will have a large surplus. 



The United States crop is so enormous that in 1905 she 



1 Belgium and the Netherlands are non-producing countries, therefore these 

 amounts must be re-exports. 



2 Preliminary. 



