6 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 
(2) In the second group of markets, that is, those 
in which the home supply exceeds the demand, are most 
countries of the New World, and in addition several of 
the Old World. The chief are the United States, Argen- 
tina, Dominion of Canada, Russia, Roumania, Austral- 
asia, India, their comparative strengths being shown by 
the following table :— 
TABLE II, 
Average annual production of wheat and average annual exports 
of the chief exporting countries during the past three decades :— 
Average Annual Pro- Average Annual 
duction in Millions of _.. =xports in 
COUNTRIES Bushels Millions of Bushels 
1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1910 |} 1881 ] 1891 | 1901 | 1910 
to to to to to to to to 
1890 | 1900 { 1910 | 1914 1) 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1914 
Russia oe ...| 244 | 300 | 461 | 817 87 (| 104 | 142 | 164 
United States ...| 427 | 559 | 657 | 685 || 116 | 178 | 125 | 107 
Argentine eee we] 24 65 | 180 | 147 4 387 84} 82 
Canada oa | 38 55 | 110 | 197 9 13 42 95 
Roumania ... «| 42 52 13 88 a1 Q7 42) 55 
Australasia ... ..| 851 37 1 63 | 98 9 7) 29} 58 
India ... wee | 259 | 243 | 294 | 350 33} 231! 27! 50 
From these tables may be drawn certain definite 
conclusions which will be of assistance in discussing 
the development of the wheat industry in New 
Zealand, despite the fact that the annual production 
of wheat in the Dominion has never been more than 
a fragment of the world’s crop. 
The great market for wheat lies in Western Europe, 
though that continent produces more than half the 
world’s crop. The tendency in this area is for pro- 
duction to fall relatively to advances in total produc- 
tion, population, and the progress of civilisation, and 
even in some cases there has been an absolute decrease 
in production. Until recent years the United States 
of America was predominant in this market, but her 
exports are now on the decline, while those of Russia 
and Roumania are increasing, and there has been a 
remarkably rapid increase in production in Argentina, 
Canada, and Australia. This expansion is one of the 
