386 Home Produce, Imjwrts, and Consumption of Wheat. 
eight years. Nor can it be accounted for by the dejjree in 
which it is assumed that the area under wheat has diminished 
of late years. It is without doubt to a great extent due to 
increase of population; but if the estimates are to be relied upon, 
there has also been an appreciable increase in the consumj)tion 
of wheat per head of late years ; as will be seen by reference to 
the summary of the results on this head given at p. 377. 
To conclude: — In reference to the results recorded in Table V., 
it may be observed that, whilst taking the average of the sixteen 
years the imports of wheat to the United Kingdom collectively, 
supplied only 33 per cent, of the whole required; 51 per cent, of 
the estimated consumption in Ireland over the same period, and 
only 31 per cent, of that in Great Britain, were supplied by 
imports. In each division of the country, however, the proportion 
of the whole consumed has considerably exceeded the average 
during the later years, and this is more especially the case so 
far as Ireland is concerned. 
Summary and General Conclusions. 
Whatever anomalies may appear on consideration of the results 
to which our data lead us in regard to individual yeai's, little 
doubt need be entertained as to the approximate correctness and 
the value of the average results over the sixteen years, or even 
over the first eight and the second eight years of the period, so 
far as most, if not all, of the main points — whether relating to 
home-produce, imports, or consumption — are concerned. 
The following Table (VI.) brings together at one view the 
average results relating to each of the separate points of the 
inquiry, for the first half, the second half, and the total period 
of sixteen years. 
It would lead into far too long a discussion were we to attempt 
to direct attention in detail to the many points of interest brought 
to view in the above very comprehensive Summary Table. 
However interesting in certain points of view the average results 
over the whole sixteen years may be, it is obvious that the real 
interest centres, so far as most of the subjects are concerned, 
much more in the direction and the degree of progress from time 
to time. Leaving the reader to study the evidence of progress 
from year to year in the Appendix-Tables, it must suffice here to 
comment on some of the most prominent points which a com- 
parison of the results during the first half and the second half 
of the period of sixteen years illustrates. 
Enough has been said already in regard to the sources and the 
character of the data upon which the calculations are founded, to 
indicate on what points the results must, with some reservation, 
be accepted. With this precautionary observation we may pro- 
