Price of Wheat, over 40 Harvest-Years, 1852-3 to 1891-2. Ill 
amounts reckoned at 61 lb. per bushel, as formerly, and the last 
two in each case at 60 lb. per bushel. For the first thirty-five 
of the forty years, 2\ bushels per acre on the acreage of the 
year have been deducted from the total home crop for the 
seed of the next year, but for the last five years only 2 bushels 
per acre. It is, of course, not assumed that there was a sudden 
change at that period ; but, believing that a gradual reduction 
has taken place, it was at that date, that is, first for the crop of 
1887, decided to reduce the amount then and for the future. 
Table VIII. 
Homo produce of wheat 
At 61 lb. per bushel 
At 60 lb. per bushel 
Total 
Available for 
consumption 
Total 
Available for 
consumption 
Quarters 
Quarters 
Quarters 
Quarters 
Averages for : — 
8 year 
s 1852 to 185!) . ■. 
14,310,779 
13,159,859 
14,554,230 
13,403,310 
8 
1860 , 
1867 . . 
13,309,247 
12,253,712 
13,523,034 
12.467,499 
8 „ 
1868 , 
1875 . . 
12,684,765 
11,619,353 
12,900,291 
11,834,879 
S 
1876 , 
1883 . . 
9,636,682 
8,754,751 
9,793,979 
8,922,986 
8 ,, 
18S1 , 
1891 . . 
9,208,029 
8,549,916 
9,365,087 
8,706,974 
40 „ 
1852 „ 
1891 . . 
11,829,900 
10,867,518 
12,027,324 
11,067,130 
The figures show an average annual reduction in the total 
home-crop of about 1,000,000 quarters over the second period 
compared with the first, about two-thirds of a million over the 
third compared with the second, more than 3,000,000 quarters 
over the fourth compared with the third, but less than half a 
million over the last compared with the fourth. Of course these 
reductions in the aggregate produce of the country are largely 
due to the reduction in area under the crop, but they are also 
largely dependent on the difference in the average yield per acre 
over the different periods. Thus, with a fully equal — indeed, 
the figures show a slightly higher — estimated area over the third 
period compared with the second, there is nevertheless a con- 
siderable relative deficiency in the aggregate produce of the 
third period, due to an average reduction of If bushel in 
the yield per acre. Then, comparing the fourth with the 
third period, there is a greater average reduction in area than 
in any other case, but there is at the same time a reduced 
yield per acre of 1 § bushel ; and it is these two conditions 
combined that result in the reduction of more than 3,000,000 
quarters per annum in the aggregate produce over the fourth 
