The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-24
a CENSUS OF BREAD-EATERs.

The Swiss Society of Commerce and
Industry has compiled a census Of the
wheat consumers of the world. How ac-
curate the figures are every one must
judge for himself. Some of them are
quite curious.
The world is producing now as an aver
age about $3.50, 100000 bushels OF wheat
per year. Assuming the population of the
world to be 1900. 100000 which is the lat
est estimate of geographers. this would
give about IL bushels of wheat yearly to
every human being. But the consumption
of wheat in China, Africa and large por-
ton of British India, which among them
contain about half the population of the
world, is very small. so that the annual
crop probably provides about three bushels.
or $50 pounds, for each person in the
wheat-eatng countries. AS a matter of
fact the consumption in these countries
varies widely. according to the capacity Of
the people to buy, and to their habitual
consumption OF other grains.
For instance, the consumption in Russia
is 90 pounds per head and in Norway and
Sweden only 66 pounds. In these coun-
tries the people of the rural districts are
very poor, and they are large consumers
Of a cheaper graiD-rye. Rye Is also free
ly eaten in the Austrian dominions, where
the consumption is 1877 pounds; but in the
wheat-grOwing districts Of Hungary il
rises to 361 pounds, or six bushels per head.
That is reckOned as the average consump-
tion in this country. the exact figure being
357 pounds. If this estimate be correct the
total average consumption of wheat in this
country must be about 800 900, 600 bushels :;
which with a crop of 5OO,0O0.000 bushels,
SUCH as we have been raising lately. would
leave little or nothing for export.
The great wheat-cOnsumiBg country of
the world is France, where the consump-
tion is given as 705 pounds. or nearly
twelve bushels per head. The contrast
with other countries may in part be ex-
planned by the fact that to a Frenchman
wheaton bread serves in the place of all
other aliment. a Frenchman will dis
pense with meat if be can get an ample
supply of white. well-baked bread. In
the French cities there is little consump-
ton of the cheaper grains; people insist on
the finest and whitest flour. They eat
twice as much of it as Americans do.
The other European countries consume
less -four than France. England takes
five and three-quarter bushels, $50 pounds,
about the same quantity as is eaten in
this country. In the British islands the
consumption of potatoes and other roots
is large, and they take the place of wheat
In Germany. on the other hand, the con-
sumption is very low-only 143 pounds per
head. This reflects the large consump ion
Of rye, on which the peasants live. Judg-
ing by the appearance of the German emf
grants who come to this country a diet of
rye must be as wholesome as a diet OF
wheat Strange to say, the next largest
consumer of wheat to France is Spain,
which, poor as the country is, seems to be
able to consume 413 pounds per head of
her people. Little or no rye is grown in
the peninsula. and the river valleys pro.
duce as fine crops of wheat as they did in
the days of the Scipios.
1t is singular that Western Europe
should have never adopted corn as a sub
sttute for wheat. It's nutritive properties
are not inferior and il costs one-third and
sometimes one-half less. But even in the
Irish famine, the starving peasants would
not eat the yellow meal, and there is prac-
tically no demand for it in France, Ger
many, Spain or England. 1t seems that,
however poor people may be, they will not
eat the food to which they are unaccus-
.Ompd