Price of Wheat , over 40 Harvest-Years, 1852-3 to 1891-2. 115. 
It will be seen further on, that the amount available per head 
of the population has somewhat increased over the later as 
compared with the earlier periods, but in only a small degree 
Table X. 
Average annual total wheat available for 
consumption, home and imported 
— 
72 flour=100 
Per cent, of total 
wheat, 60 lb. 
per bushel 
From home 
produce 
From 
imports 
Averages for : — 
Quarters 
Per cent. 
Per cent. 
8 years 1852-3 to 1859-60 
18,223,556 
731 
26-9 
8 „ 1860-1 „ 1867-8 . 
20,777,282 
59-5 
405 
8 „ 1868-9 „ 1875-6 . 
22,729,501 
520 
480 
8 „ 1876-7 „ 1883-4 . 
25,229,177 
353 
64-7 
8 „ 1884-5 „ 1891-2 . 
27,364,255 
31 9 
68-1 
40 „ 1852-8 „ 1891-2 . 
22,864,754 
50-4 
496 
compared with the great increase in the aggregate consump- 
tion ; which, as will be seen presently, is mainly due to the 
rapid increase in the population. 
The last two columns of the Table show in what proportion 
the increased demand has been met from home and from foreign 
sources respectively. Thus, whilst over the first eight-yearly 
period the home producer provided about 73 per cent, of the 
total requirement, over the last eight years he provided only 
about 32 per cent. In other words, over the earlier period he 
provided nearly three- fourths, but over the later less than one- 
third of the total requirement. On the other hand, whilst over 
the first eight years imports supplied only about 27 per cent., 
over the last eight they supplied about 68 per cent, of the re- 
quirement, or more than - two-and-a-half times the proportion 
of the total over the last than over the first eight years ; in fact, 
little more than one-quarter of the total over the first period, 
but more than two-thirds of the total over the last period. This 
was the case, notwithstanding that the last eight-yearly period 
gave a higher average yield per acre of the home-crop than 
either of the four preceding periods. The truth is, that the less 
dependence on home, and the greater on foreign supplies, has 
been largely due to the increase of the population overcoming 
our capability of production ; but, of course, largely also to the 
reduction of area under the crop at home as a consequence of 
greatly increased production for export in other countries, and 
coincidently great increase in our imports, and great reduction 
in price. 
i 2 
