376 Home Produce, Imports, and Consumption of Wheat. 
number recorded for tlie preceding midsummer two-thirds of 
the difference between that figure and the number set down for the 
next midsummer, thus bringing the estimate up to the middle of 
the harvest-year ; that is, to the end of February. For example, 
the population set down as the consumers from September 1st, 
1852, to August 31st, 1853, is calculated by adding to the 
official estimate for midsummer 1852 two-thirds of the difference 
between that estimate and the number given for midsummer 
1853, and so on. 
But in estimating the quantity of wheat required by a given 
population by reference to the amounts of flour and bread recorded 
in the dietaries of persons of different classes, sexes, and ages, it 
is obviously necessary to take into account the number of each 
description comprised in the total population. It happens, how- 
ever, that the published records of dietaries do not enable us to 
go more into detail in the classification of consumers, so far 
as sex and age are concerned, than is represented by the division 
into — males under fifteen years, males over fifteen years, females 
under fifteen years, and females over fifteen years. 
The following table shows the proportion of each of the 
above divisions in 100 of the population of England and Wales, 
in 1866 ; and it is only for England and Wales that we have 
attempted to estimate the consumption per head, according to the 
entries of bread and flour in published dietaries. 
Per Cekt. in the Total Population of England and Wales (1866). 
Ac 1:3. 
Male-s. 
Fkmales. 
Total. 
Under 1 5 years 
18-1 
18-0 
36-1 
Over 15 years 
30-4 
.33 -5 
63-9 
48-5 
M-5 
100-0 
6, Estimated Consumption of Wheat per Head of the Population 
per Annum. 
In 1855 * we published estimates of the average amounts of 
certain constituents of food consumed in 24 hours by individuals 
of both sexes and different ages. The results were obtained by 
the calculation of 86 different dietaries, arranged in 15 divisions, 
according to sex, age, activity of mode of life, and other 
circumstances. It was obvious that the data were applicable 
for arriving at some conclusion as to the amount of the products 
* 'On the Sewage of London,' Journal Society of Arts, March 9, 1855. 
