Price of Wheat , over 40 Harvest-Years, 1852-3 to 1891-2. 109 
As the summary shows, it is over the fourth and fifth periods 
that the very great decline has taken place, and it is over 
these that the very marked decline in price prevailed. Further, 
it was within the fourth period that the disastrous harvest of 
1879 occurred, not only in the United Kingdom, but in Western 
Europe generally. This led to some increase in price, and to 
greatly increased imports, which, with the exception of one or 
two years, have steadily increased ever since. In fact, it was 
the very bad season of 1879, succeeded by several of less than 
average yield, that led to the great extension of exporting areas 
in different parts of the world, and coincidently to a great re- 
duction in price ; and, with this, to a great reduction of area 
under the crop in the United Kingdom. Assuming the estimates 
of area in the earlier years to be approximately correct, it would 
appear that it has been reduced from rather more than 4,000,000 
acres over the first eight years, to little more than 2,500,000 
over the last eight, to 1891 inclusive; whilst, in 1892, it was 
not quite 2,300,000 acres. 
Average Yield of Wheat per Acre in the United Kingdom. 
Table VII. shows the average yield of wheat per acre over each 
eight-yearly period, and over the forty years, according to our 
annually adopted estimates of the crop. The first column shows 
the results reckoned in bushels of 61 lb., as we have always 
hitherto given them, and the second in bushels of 60 lb., as 
given in Appendix-Table II., and as it is proposed in future to 
represent them. 
Table VII. 
Average yield of wheat per acre | 
■ 
Bushels of 
Bushels of 
611 b. 
60 lb. 
Bushels 
Bushels 
Averages for : — 
8 years 1852 to 1859 . . 
28 
28f 
8 „ 1860 „ 1867 . . 
28# 
28# 
8 „ 1868 „ 1875 . . 
26§ 
27| 
8 „ 1876 „ 1888 . . 
241 
25! 
8 „ 1884 „ 1891 . . 
29 | 
29 1 
40 „ 1852 „ 1891 . . 
27| 
27! 
Here, again, we must refer to the Appendix-Tables I. and II. 
for the yield of individual years. Referring to the summaries as in 
Table VII., it is seen that the first two eight-yearly periods show 
