The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-23

-.ora dependent upon the wheat fields q
other countries for It's supply
mar, il, considerable quantities but the
srinu,ersts have awindied rapidly auriug
the last Few years Tns z ,s .sss earnl.-
- .srIy $3.50 bushels. as against ass.sss
hs,shels per anaum for lSs-isss Compar-
tux the amount Of wheat exporssd from
lamar with that irn2ortes. we tind that TIRE
average yearly excess OF the sxposss oNsf
;ha imports amounted 80 SIS a1sifsts IN
,sSs-rSs5 and 10 only ab.I9 bushels IN Ssi-
wheat -four Is also exported TO some
extent from Japan. b1. the i.npcr.a1iotiS
have been much larger Shan the eAPof -
items The excess OF .he former over alts
latter during the five-ys4ar per!oI isso- -s.
amounted 10 an average Of 4lFo. go p-ooh0s
per anrtzrsi ard in lSsl-fss5, owing 10 the
ran.aiy ,hT g ga lp1ISS sr annnm.
BY converting the average net iAaEotta
tons of -four for the two q0iuquenhlai pes
RODS into their equivalents IN grain a. -.
then dedHctinC In each case the a.efaso
net expectations Of wheat. we find snas "a
the fiye-year period 1SsS-iS@e there was an
average net expectation per annu'n % Ia IA;
40 bushels. and in the .ive-year peFioe Iss.-
fss5 an average net importation per anhao"
OF 2sS.S43 bushels
1T appears that the total yearly supply
or. II other words. the Iota! yearly toi,
sumption. of wheat IN Jaran averages
~. sat bushels larger in the peffosi IesI
1875 than in the period lsss-i gam %
III per cent. whereas iA. lutscarV ~ Nv
yearly average of population 10. the tWo
periods MAS shown 20 De cTiiy 4s per cent
This fact Is in itself sufficient pIool " NJ .
gain in the per capita Consumption. ne
extent OF this gain is ascerTaineu pF conF
pairing the yearly averages OF popuidion
and to1ai consunn tion for the TWO qulii-
quennial periods. From sncn a compari-
son il will be found that the average
amount of rheat annually consumed per
inHha irs japan advanced from 80
hllshei. or 81 pounds. IN lsso-lSe 10 M
husbel. Or Is pounds. in isa-lSs,.
Measured by the standards of the prln-
cipai Notwithstanding nations. mis- Is an
extremely low average Of consumption. IN
the United States the per capita consume
ton for food alone is estimated TO be about
1 s-3 bushels per annum. Ii is therefore, ap-
parent that the potential increase N me
amount OF wheat consumed y ,ns Japa-
nese people Is very great Placing IIle prs
ent population OF japan at 4s,1""o rae
of consumption per inhahitans eluai 20
that in the United States would max me
reach above 30 coo 90 bushels. With no
increase In the present production or the
country this wosld necessi.ate an annuai
importation OF about $50 90. 10 DoSneis-
Bread Grain i'm Demand
although the japanese may never be-
come so thoroughly a wheat-consunilng
nation as are the people 81 the Chltso
States. there can be no doubt that thiS
great bread grain Is steadily growing IN
their favor. A, time when other inpor-
tanf changes in the direction OF more
modern standard of civilization are so rap
idly taking place in japanese customs, i
the people should be similarly affected.
and the indications of such chanse are
unmis akable. Ii can hardly be doubted
that as the years go by the diet OF tne
Japanese Will become more ana more mod
lied in accordance with European and
American customs. and this means
larger consumption of wheat.
Unfortunately. there are no statistics
available as to the amount OF wheat con-
samed by the Chinese people. In some
parts OF the empire and particularly In the
northern districts. where wheat Is raised
quite extensively. it is known 10 De an I'M
duced. however. Is not sufficient TO meet
the requirements of the population. This
is shown very clearly by the extent of the
fmportations. In the steady growth OF
these importations We have substantial
evidence that the consumption of wheat
in China is increasing. The Chinese are
undoubtedly beginning to experience
changes in civilization similar TO. IL less
rapid. than those already In progres, among
their naighbors, the japanese. To this
fact may be attributed in part at least the
larger wheat consumption. The change
that has already taken place in this drec-
ton. however Is Insignificant when COM
pared with what is TO be ...pected IN the
future. When this great nation Of 40o.ooo-
o0e people is once fairly opened To foreign
influences the possibilities that may result
can hardly be oyereSfimated.
Clearly, then, these Oriental countries
are well worth the attention of the Ameri-
can wheat grower. especially now that
Russia Argentina and other great wheat
us so strongly for the European market. II
may be that in the future Eastern Asia
will afford field enough for the disposal OF
our surplus wheat to offset all possible
losses in the markets OF Europe"
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