Wheat Consumption in Japan and China. 213 



probability of still larger demands in the future. From a 

 statistical point of view the situation in China cannot be so 

 readily dealt with as that in Japan, owing to the lack of 

 reliable data, but the conditions that exist in Japan may, it 

 is thought, be fairly taken as an index to what may be 

 expected in China. As regards the former country, the official 

 statistics apparently indicate that the production of wheat has 

 not increased commensurately with the growth in population. 

 The average annual population of the kingdom of Japan 

 for the five-year period 1891-95 was 41,441,426, as compared 

 with 39, 541^9 1 7 for the preceding quinquennium 1886- 1890. 

 This shows a gain of 4*80 per cent, in the annual average 

 of the second quinquennium over that of the first. A 

 comparison of the average annual area sov/n to wheat 

 for the same periods shows that in 1886- 1890 it amounted 

 to 1,025,652 acres, and in 1 891-1895 to 1,072,174 acres, 

 an increase in the latter period of 4*54 per cent. It 

 appears, therefore, that the extension of the area sown to 

 wheat in Japan during the ten years 1886 to 1895, inclusive, 

 was not commensurate with the growth of the population ; 

 and although it is true that the increase in wheat production, 

 as indicated by the annual averages for the two periods, has 

 been somewhat greater, this is said to be accounted for in 

 large measure by the partial failure of the crop of 1890, the 

 abnormally low production of that year causing a material 

 reduction in the average for the entire period 1886- 1890. 

 The change in area, however, is held to afford a more 

 reliable test than the returns as to production ; and this 

 change has been so slight as to indicate that the growing 

 population of Japan will become more and more dependent 

 upon the wheatfields of other countries for its supply. 



The above conclusion regarding Japan's growing depend- 

 ence upon foreign countries for her wheat supply would, it is 

 m^aintained, be a safe one, even were the per capita consump- 

 tion of this grain by the Japanese to be no larger than it is 

 to-day; but there is alleged to be abundant statistical 

 evidence to show that the amount of wheat consumed per 

 inhabitant in Japan is steadily increasing. From an 

 examination of the census and production and trade statistics 



