The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-06
me DEnAND FOR MORE WHEAT

stated GnaU ul1INeESdA UO'AA "a -
the food supply of the world was
to be expected. He Pounds his as
sertion on figures-the increase in
population and the relative de-.
crease in production. He says:
Wheat is the most sustaining
food grain of the great Caucasian
race, which includes the peoples OF
Europe, United States, British
America, the white inhabitants OF
South Africa, Australasia, parts OF
South America and the white pop
ulation of the European colonies.
OF late years the individual con-
sumption of wheat has almost uni
versally increased. In Scandinavia
1t has risen 100 per cent in twenty
five years, in Austria a-Hungary 80
per cent, in France 20 per cent,
while in Belgium it has increased
so per cent.
Only in Russia and Italy, and
possibly Turkey, has the cOnsump-
ton of wheat per head declined.
In 1871 the bread eaters of the
world numbered 81, 100000 In
1881 the number rose to 416, 6,OOO,-
600, in 1891 to 472, 900, 900 and at
the present time they number 516,-
500, 600. The augmentation of
the worlds bread eating pOpula-
ton in a geometrical ratio is evil
denced by the fact that the yearly
aggregates grow progressively
larger. In the early '7O's they
rose 4,3OO, 900 per annum, while
in the SOS they increased by more
than 5000, 900 per annum, neces-
stating annual additions to the
bread supply nearly One-half great
er than suficed twenty-five years
ago. To supply SIG, 800, 900 bread
eaters, if each bread eating unit is
to to have his usual ration, will re-
quire total of = 324 900, ,000 bush
els for seed and food. According
to the best authorities the total
supplies from the 1S97-9 harvest
are l ,921 100000 bushels. The re-
quirements of the SIG, 10000
bread eaters for seed and food are
2, 324, 100000 bushels. There is
thus a deficit of 403, ,000,0 900 bush
els, which has not been urgently
apparent owing to a surplus of
5000, 900 bushels carried over from
the last harvest.
Respecting the prospects of the
harvest year just beginning, it
must be borne in mind that there
are no remainders to bring over
from last harvest. We start with
a deficit of 103, 100000 bushels
and have 100000 more mouths
to feed. The majority of the wheat
crops between 1882 and 1896 were
in excess of current needs, and
thus considerable reserves of wheat
were available for supplementing
small deficits from the four def
cient harvests. But bread eaters
have almost eaten up the reserves
of wheat, and, the 1897 harvest
being under average, the condi-
tions become serious. That scare
ity and high prices have not pre-
vailed in recent years is due to the
fact that since 1889 we have had
seven world crops of wheat and six
of rye abundantly in excess of the
average. These generous crops in
creased accumulations to such an
extent as to obscure the fact that
the harvests of 1895 and 1896 were
each much below current require
mentS.
He shows that the annual wheat
production in the United Kingdom
of Great Britain is only Ga 900, ,O0O
bushels, when. the demand per an
mum is 240. .OOO,O 600, bushels. Thus
the wheat raised is only enough to
supply the demand for fourteen
weeks. Seventy-five per cent OF
the wheat consumed IN Great Brit
ain is imported. From this he
predicts permanently higher
prices for wheat" He says should
all the wheat growing countries Of
the world increase their wheat
growing area to the utmost capac
ity it would only give us an addi
ton of 100, 900, 900 acres, which, a
the average yield of 1871 bushels
to the acre would be 1,27O, 600, ,OOt
bushels, just enough to supply tn,
increase of population, allowin,
each individual six bushels annu
ally.
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