BULLETIN 
U. g ( DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
RELATION OF WEATHER TO PRODUCTION. 
The average yield of potatoes in the United States per acre har- 
vested in 1916 was 81 bushels; in 1917 it was 101 bushels. The yield 
of corn per acre in 1900 was 25 bushels; in 1901 it was 17 bushels. 
In 1915 wheat yields averaged 17 bushels, but only 12 bushels in the 
following year. These differences are primarily due to variations in 
rainfall. 
The yield per acre in pounds for the six grain crops — corn, oats, 
wheat, barley, rye, and buckwheat — are given in Table IV. In 1894 
the production was 936 pounds per acre; the following year it was 
1,227 pounds. In 1901 the yield was 924 pounds per acre and in 
1902 it was 1,273 pounds. 
The year 1916 was an unfavorable year and was largely respon- 
sible for the seriousness of the food situation in 1917, but fortunately 
no such drought year as 1894 or 1901 occurred during the war period. 
With an increasing area of seniiarid land under cultivation, the varia- 
tion in crops owing to fluctuations in rainfall is of increasing im- 
portance. 
Table IT. — Production of grain in the United States. 
[Pounds of corn, oats, wheat, barley, rye, and buckwheat. 1 ] 
Year. 
Acres 
(000 
omitted). 
Pounds 
(000,000 
omitted). 
Pounds 
per 
acre. 
Pounds 
per 
capita. 
Year. 
Acres 
(000 
omitted). 
Pounds 
(000,000 
omitted). 
Pounds 
per 
acre. 
Pounds 
per 
capita. 
1866 
61,682 
64, 972 
66, 715 
69, 458 
69,254 
64,999 
68, 280 
74, 112 
80, 052 
83,864 
93.920 
93; 205 
100, 956 
118, 632 
120,927 
123, 389 
126, 569 
130, 634 
136, 293 
135, 875 
141, 859 
141, 822 
146, 281 
140, 219 
138, 993 
146, 732 
147, 227 
147, 726 
69, 110 
68, 249 
75,679 
77,271 
85, 945 
80,116 
87,401 
80,498 
76, 573 
108,094 
102, 987 
113,424 
120, 245 
150, 898 
143, 708 
106. 830 
140; 985 
134, 753 
155, 067 
154, 619 
145, 464 
134, 439 
163, 960 
169, 563 
128, 386 
184, 072 
156, 557 
149, 150 
1,120 
1,050 
1,134 
.1,112 
1,241 
1,233 
1,230 
1,086 
957 
1,221 
1,097 
1, 217 
1, 191 
1,272 
1,188 
866 
1,114 
1,032 
1,138 
1,138 
1,025 
94S 
1,121 
1,209 
924 
1,254 
1,063 
1,010 
1,948 
1,885 
2,047 
2, 047 
2,229 
2,025 
2,153 
1, 931 
1,789 
2,414 
2,282 
2,447 
2,526 
3,088 
2,865 
2, 082 
2,686 
2,510 
2,824 
2,754 
2, 534 
2,291 
2,734 
2,767 
2,040 
2,883 
2,405 
2,248 
1894 
144, 216 
163, 052 
167, 272 
169, 591 
175, 199 
184, 374 
184, 101 
184, 630 
183, 777 
181, 671 
181, 391 
184, 285 
184, 577 
183, 674 
185,901 
185, 577 
198, 052 
203, 718 
201, 302 
205, 264 
206, 318 
218, 708 
211, 893 
219, 546 
225, 155 
232, 991 
218, 971 
134. 972 
199, 984 
204. 973 
189,699 
207, 203 
213, 157 
212, 298 
170, 634 
233,884 
207, 615 
219, 516 
242, 362 
252, 737 
215, 647 
219, 975 
232,131 
243, S44 
218,946 
277, 853 
230,265 
252, 216 
293, 560 
235, 025 
275, 278 
262,864 
273, 474 
291, 315 
936 
1,227 
1, 225 
1,119 
1,183 
1,156 
1,153 
924 
1,273 
1,143 
1,210 
1,315 
1,369 
1, 174 
1,183 
1,231 
1,256 
1,075 
1,380 
1, 122 
1,222 
1,342 
1,109 
1,254 
1,167 
1,174 
1,330 
1,998 
1867 
1895 
2,901 
2,913 
1868 
1896 
1869 
1897 
2.650 
1870 
1898 
2,841 
2,888 
1871 
1899 
1872 
1900 
2,794 
2,199 
1873 
1901 
1874 
1902 
2,952 
2.568 
1875 
1903 
1878 
1904 
2^662 
18^7 
1905 
2,882 
2,949 
2,470 
2,473 
1878 
1906 
1879 . 
1907 
1880.... 
1908 
188"! - 
1909 
2,563 
2,700 
1882 
1910 
1883 
1911 
2,341 
2,929 
1884.... 
1912 
1885 
1913 
2, 393 
1886.... 
1914 
2,585 
1887 
1915 
2,987 
1888.... 
1916 
2,344 
2,709 
1889 
1917 
1890 
1918 
2.553 
2; 621 
1891 
1919 
1892 
1920 
2,753 
1893 
1 Grain as reported by the Bureau of Crop Estimates, converted to pounds by multiplying corn and rye 
by 56, wheat by 60, oats by 32, barley and buckwheat by 48. For the years 1879, and 1839 to 1909, re- 
vised figures as given in the Yearbook for 1919 are used. 
The year 1920 was an unusually favorable year. The yield per 
acre of the six grain crops was 13 per cent more than in 1919. It was 
the third highest yield ever grown, being slightly exceeded in 1912 
