The Future of JgricuUuTal Competition. 757 
more and more needed in America as a feeding-stuff, as the 
I stock ranges get broken uj), and the cro}) is such a favourite 
lone that its extent is not likely to be contracted unless wheat 
becomes decidedly dear, especially as the former cereal flourishes 
where the latter gives a very scanty yield. In South America, 
Africa, and the sub-tropical parts of Australia, too, maize does 
well where wheat is comparatively a failure, so that the wonder 
is that its cultivation has not been extended even more than 
has been the case. Growers of grinding barley, then, cannot be 
comforted with the prospect of a diminished supply of maize, in 
the near future at any rate. At the same time, there is no reason 
to suppose that America, which at present sends us more than 
half the maize we import, will spare additional quantities in the 
future, for reasons which may be gathered from preceding 
remarks as to the greater home use expected, and the necessary 
addition to the wheat area. 
Olds, like bai'ley, kept up well in 'price until 1879, and did 
not fall below 20s. a quarter as a yearly average till after 1885. 
There has not been any considerable reduction in the oat area of 
the United Kingdom during the last ten years. The average 
for 187G-80 was 4,170,325 acres, and for the five years ending 
with 1890 the average was 4,231,404 acres. But since 1887, 
when we grew 4,418,947 acres, there has been a fall to 4,137,790 
acres for 1891. The area in 1887 was nearly the greatest 
recorded, that of 188G ha\*ing exceeded it by only twelve acres. 
But the average price fell to 16s. 'del. in 1887, and the area 
dropped to 4,177,121 acres. As in the case of barley, the fall 
in the price of oats does not appear to have been caused by 
direct foreign competition in that grain. It is true that the 
imports in 1887 were nearly a million hundredweights more 
than in the preceding year ; but that was not a considerable 
proportion of our national consumption. In 1888 there was an 
exceptional supply of foreign oats, amounting to 
18,770,686 cwt. ; but in the next year the supply fell off 
by about 2,750,000 cwt., and in 1890 it was under 
13,000,000. When the fall took place, the average annual 
imports for five years had been a little less than in the preceding 
five. Even for the last five years the yearly average imports 
have exceeded those of the preceding five years by only 
2,000,000 cwt. This quantity is equal to about 700,000 qrs., 
which is not a very great addition to our total supply, seeing 
that the home crop is over 20,000,000 qrs. It is the cheapening 
of maize, barley, and other feeding-stuffs, rather than the addi- 
tion to our imports of oats, that has caused the drop in the price 
of that grain, partially recovered in 1890, and more still iu 
