New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-06-14
PROTECTION AND CONSUMPTION or
WHEAT.

One Of the most important facts now to be Hsser-
tnined and one that could be a.certained with ~
much Ease ne any other item Of Information gathered
b, the census takers, is the quantity Of wheat pro-
ducsd. aud quantity consumed in this country IL rs
the only WAY that &c can determine whether we have
surplus or not for export at any time, to know no"
much we want at home.
would be very easy 20 make a calculation how
much would be eaten If all had their nil, because we
know that pound IL bread day would be q fair al
l,ya,c- for zach individual in family or co immunity
that used wheaton bread without restriction. We
suppose. upon the average wheat Yields 40 pounds
Of -four per bushel ard that 40 pounds Of -four make
co Loud, of bread ~ that bushels Of wheat per
wear. for each member OF the family, would be fair
calculation provided the whole population used wheat
-four exclusively. But they do not.
avery large portion of the population of all the
Southern States live exclusively upon bread made of
the meal Of Indian corn, "a the slaves may be said
never to taste wheat bread while mny of their mas.
ter. eat II but spansgly In the Northern States,
sorn lye buckwheat are eaten largely, and, to Inn
tied txsnt oats and barley, for breadstu, 80 that we
doubt wleh.r the consumption of wheat in this coun-
try exceeds two apd half three bushels per annum
10 each nhabtant We thuk q calculation based
upon three bushels safe one, so that assuming that
as the quantity required for home consumption, and
adding thereto the expectation Of the last year, the
total of the crop be Appropriated and then the
Yield Of any given year is equal to the previous one
the quantity it will afford for expectation can be at
once determined and the price abroad would be the
regulator of the prices at home Now is regulated
BY wild and reckless speculation, To ascertain the
yield, consumption, quality to export and price,
= a. ..pt ard htx
country had one, such would be its business.
Now the whole Of the immense wheat business, and
the price end demsnd of different sections Of country
is based upon guess work.
This is the cause of such terrible fluctuations in
prices, bringing ruin upon scores of men every year
who engage in such guess. work business.
II certsiny would be one of the easiest things the
world to ascertain any farmers family that do their
own milling how much wheat is used in year, snd
vet we do not believe one in a thousand
the question and We doubt whether those who buy
their -four could give any accurate account of how
many pounds per head is sufficient for their yearly
supply.
Ii is an important qucstion-who can answer 1t:
What is the average crop, how much is exported and
what is the annual consumption of wheat in the
United States At our rate Of calculation it is
thirg over sixty mulohs Oh pushes year, Ine census
calculation of the product of ls.9 was one hundred
millions of bushels As the product has gained fast
as the population, that would give forty millions of
bushels per annum for xportation-suffcient, we
should say, always to keep the price of wheat and
-four far below the speculative price of last Winter,
which was based as it has proved, upon guess work,
and not on the demand for export or consumption.
d. j. Browne, Superintendent of the Agricultural
Bureau of the Patent Office, makes the following cal
suaton of the grain products of the United States
for the year 1885, to which he has added an estimate
r., Oh