The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
OUR YEARLY FOOD SUPPLY.
WHAT III COSTS no FEED THE PEOPLE
or TTfHs COUNTRY ANNUALLK.

auIred TO reed Our own CItiEens-wha
We Bxport-Some Interesting Figures.
II the strength OF a country be measured by
the abundance and nutfltivo value OF it's food
then the United States stands easily at the
head OF the dominant nations Of the world,
Not only can the farms. the meadows, and the
orchards supply the needs OF our own citizens,
but there is left an immense surplus to be
shipped to other countries. During the past
ten years tho nations wheat crop has averaged
about 100000, 900 bushels. ranging from less
than 400,0O0,0O0 bushels In & o to moro than
BO0,0O0,O00 two years earlier. The average
yearly exports OF this wheat for tho same dec
ade were 140.0n0.000 bushels, leaving 325,-
00O.000 for home consumption.
Excluding the wheat used for seed and for
purposes other than human food. the present
consumption Is estimated to be allttle less than
one barrelof hour per capita. or70.o00. 900 bar
rels for the nearly 70 900. 900 population. That
means an annual consumption OF 14.000.00O,-
600 pounds OF %1our-a bulk which. nut into a
lnglo receptacle. would require a barrel twice
the height OF Washington Monument and cor
rcspundinRly big In circumference. Were all
this flour made into bread IL would yield 90
OOO.000,000 pcund loaves. Reversing tho met
aphor Of the Sermon on the Mount and Civ
ing bread for n stone" these loaves would pave
a roadway 80 feet wide and extending around
the world. II bakery wagons we're loaded
each with q thousand OF the loaves. 20.0u0.000
would be needed TO move the bread. They
would make a procession over 10000 miles
long or eighteen abreast from ocean to ocean.
OF course. not all the -four is made into bread.
since millions of pies. cakes and other products
OF the cooks art come from these 70,000,000
flour barrels.
last year the farms Of the country raised
wheat sufficient to supply this enormous de-
mand Mt home besides sending 143, 600. 900
bushels to other countries. OF this export two
thirds went to Great Britain and less than a
tenth to the rest OF Europe. Six bushels in a
hundred went to our neighbors on the north
aud nine more to the other American countries.
Australia and Asia took 10.000.O0O bushels and
Africa 100000 bushels. But unless the ma
tion's farms yield a larger wheat crop less will
be exported in the future. At the present rate
OF consumption the increased population will
demand the entire product in another decade.
Wheat. however. Is far from being the only
grain used for food by the American people.
The corn crop is about four times as large as
that OF wheat, and some seventeen hundred
millions Of bushels remain for consumption in
our own country. But only a fraction Of this
reaches the stomach Of man direct. For the
most part it is taken in the pork. beef. milk.
butter. eggs. and other products of animals
that fatten on its substance. In recent years.
apparently. the direct use of corn for mans food
is increasing with the mixed" -four. the patent
food preparations, the brown bread. corn
dodgers and like cookery. Whole regions of
the South use corn almost exclusively in prefer
ence to wheat -four.
Then there Is the oat crop. averaging 700,-
100000 bushels. most of which remains in this
sOnhIry T. AN Amerlean ms are are, RAPIDLY tollo win tine
only a small fraction of the total crop Is con-
- "a ~ tho hnn"o M. nsl oon.
Of which remains within the country The
usual yield OF rye is 2S,0OO.O0O bushels. very
little OF which is exported. But the barley and
rye rye s1;eI largely soIsa reduced .a a. t. a ,Rsa form I'm before S9s the
ach' Some i5.0o0O0 bushels Of bucSTheat
enter each wear into The composition OF onr nan
The exact amount of tbese various Grains
used directly for human food cannot he de-.
nnnnds mnst be- adds5 10 the IySSat TTo WI
Pmakine a total Of % On0 nmounds Imsad
each year as food. Large as this seems in the
poSSnd a day to TO- each 5ssf f"as snlset a very annie
With the abundant W. rrieties of otber fends saAeh
Another favorite food Of the Americans is the
potato is s sSsF ms n sTpP r. recent years has
and IMPORT trade IN this ,yeGetabIe IS r.
me hn,so average eeaSe quantity q n,1rSh,t the ,d head ndoh OF the
her about hal" n nonnd n dav or three
bnsbeiS a vaer Swat no+atoas' Va aisn
favorfte e food some 45 0no bbnsbbels hheina
needed for the annual consnmption The Weld
~ paaS ;s n NM INN hnSbaia nfbaons a NM
R Rnit 8 pi m GniSni ba a;fS2sS q oS SHshsi are M ISpof ihsP
most Of which are Of choice Spanish and Ber-
~ ~ rice arn nsed dmrinn tbn vaar y l%nig ~
WwtbticIb Canes Rom ntbaE con nT t yiia ThIs IL "a nniy
aUoinst Iap nr"mnSs' IN Erraat RRr;tafEnn tapvSrtonn
in Itaivv 30n In Ianan' and M Il In Tie oTfnSisn
nrovinca ~ RnD,bav ~" 'o NN"'"
prSN,n nrieo q D SHaet tooth 10 amid n ha .bnor-
maIIV deyeIoned' The copsnmption T Of sugar
raanSSo m No aSta,; INV dhI - tntaii " x RSO0S MY Hnh
n eav Z ne ~ o = nnn ia ny ~ III 2iG;0 y a y ~
home. Last year nearly a third OF the supply
fSme CIT tto u Sfer1nahy rT anu TWpeF cent; more LFon
Gre I enH a n f%a Ease Tn 3 inIuIteS Seh no1t ~
RRTnlIyv half the HE sn9ar imnorted came from conn.
T Tnnod ~ S ofeserh aoiS U IprSuGee IL 1 ~ y, nv Ins
i1R mn SSS an -, nnedtsseT ba nass year re- ne raisen
InQSe WHO pioNnesy IliaG ~ 1n9IHeI Iecaue inc