352 Home Produce, Imports, Consumption, 
of wheat in recent years may be mentioned the increased price 
of meat ; whilst, among those tending to limit the rate of 
increase of consumption may be noted the fact that the propor- 
tion of the total wheat consumed which is derived from foreign 
sources is rapidly increasing, and the drier foreign wheats will 
undoubtedly yield a larger percentage of fiour, and flour of better 
quality, than much of the home-grown grain. 
As already explained, the estimates of consumption per head 
over the first sixteen years, although controlled by the calcu- 
lation of numerous dietaries, were finally founded on the estimated 
amounts of home produce and the ascertained amounts of the 
imports ; and they were calculated for the first half, and the 
second half of that period separately, in order to ascertain 
whether or not an increased rate of consumption were indicated. 
The result was that the so reckoned available supplies showed a 
consumption of about 5'1 bushels per head per annum over the 
first eight years, and of 5 "5 bushels over the second eight years. 
Of course, even supposing that the estimates of the available 
supplies over the whole period were correct, and that there was 
a considerable increase in the rate of consumption during the 
period, it is not to be assumed that there was the sudden rise 
from the first to the second eight years, which taking the 
averages over those separate periods shows. It is, indeed, 
doubtful whether the estimates of consumption per head over 
the earlier years, as deduced from the amounts estimated to be 
available from the home produce and the imports, may not be 
somewhat too low, due to an under-estimate of the area under 
the crop in those years. But, as no data exist upon which to 
base a trustworthy correction, the safer alternative seems to be 
simply to call attention to this probability. 
Then, again, a careful consideration of our annual estimates 
of produce per acre subsequent to the first sixteen years, leads to 
the conclusion that some are more probably too low than too 
high. For 1866 and 1867, for example, our own estimates are 
lower than those of some others ; and that for 1867, at any rate, 
may we think probably be somewhat too low. But here, again, 
there is lack of sufficient evidence to justify an alteration. 
Upon the whole, we are disposed to conclude that our esti- 
mates of consumption per head during the first period of eight 
years may be somewhat too low. We also conclude that our 
previously published estimates of consumption for the years 
subsequent to the first sixteen, are more probably too low, than 
that our estimates of average produce per acre, and of aggregate 
produce founded upon them, are too high. For the reasons 
given, however, we adopt our previous estimates of average 
