54 FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION 



43. The world's production. — Since the discovery of 

 America, corn has been introduced into the leading agri- 

 cultural countries of the world. A study of the table 

 of the world's production of corn for the five years, 1908 

 to 1912, shows that the bulk, or about 76 per cent of the 

 world's corn crop, is produced in North America. The 

 United States is by far the greatest corn producing country 

 of the world, producing in the five years above mentioned 

 over 70 per cent of the world's crop. Europe is second, 

 producing 544 million bushels or about 19 per cent as much 

 as the United States. Austria-Hungary, Roumania, 

 Italy, and Russia are the leading corn producing countries 

 of Europe, while France, Portugal, Spain, and Bulgaria 

 produce only a few millions of bushels each. In Africa, 

 Egypt and South Africa are responsible for over 80 per cent 

 of her total crop. In South America, Argentina is by far 

 the leading corn growing country, while small amounts are 

 produced in Chih and Uruguay. A remarkable increase 

 in production has been made in Roumania and South 

 Africa within the past few years. Roumania cannot 

 hope for a much further increase in her production, since 

 almost all of the land adapted to corn growing is now 

 being utilized. The English government, by the estab- 

 lishment of experiment stations to study the best methods 

 of culture, has been largely responsible for the develop- 

 ment of South Africa into an important corn growing 

 country. This country will doubtless still further increase 

 her production, since considerable land is yet available 

 for the growing of this crop. Of all the corn growing 

 countries, Argentina in South America alone gives promise 

 of becoming a strong competitor of the United States. 



