THE CONSUMPTION OF WHEAT 3 
straw is of especial importance on the farm. The 
production of these commodities has given rise to a 
flour-milling industry employing 66 mills in 1910, 
with a production of flour to the value of £1,248,000, 
while the production of bran and pollard is con- 
siderable. 
New Zealand is considered as an exporter of wheat, 
but very often her total supply is almost wholly con- 
sumed at home.* For the years 1907-8 the quantities 
exported were only 1,374 and 1,385 bushels respec- 
tively, while, owing to a general scarcity at the close 
of 1914, the Government made arrangements for the 
purchase and import of considerable quantities from 
Australia and Canada to meet the local deficiency. 
The ‘‘New Zealand Official Year Book’’ for the past 
ten years has estimated the consumption per head 
of the population at six bushels. From more recent 
statistics it appears that there has been a rise in the 
per capita consumption. For the decade 1904-13 1 
have estimated the average annual per capita con- 
sumption by using statistics of exportation, importa- 
tion, production, acreage, and population in the fol- 
lowing manner:—From the total of production and 
importation the amount exported has been deducted 
together with the amount used for seed for the new 
crop, calculated by taking the amount of seed wheat 
per acre at 2 bushels. This latter calculation is 
inclined to exaggerate the amount used for seed, but 
most land in New Zealand requires from 14 to 2 
bushels per acre, and as much is sown late in the year 
the amount is more often nearer 2 bushels than 14, 
hence the exaggeration is but slight. 
The amount obtained after these calculations is 
taken as the consumption for the Dominion, and the 
per capita consumption estimated from this. 
The calculations thus obtained were as follows, the 
*Circumstances which have rendered the importation of 
small quantities necessary during the past three years may be 
considered as extraordinary. 
